For Shibuya's Only Composer
by Armeria
Summary: Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?
1. Sorry J

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

I really do appreciate reviews. "You have my words as a humanitarian. I don't disappoint my public."

**Chapter 1: Sorry J**

"Hey, you look down."

Joshua, not bothering to hear Mr. H., furiously disappeared from sight before hearing the rest.

He only heard Mr. H chuckling from a far distance, "Some guys just don't take no for an answer." Mr. H spread his wings and followed after him.

xxx

It had been just over two years since the end of that Game with the Composer v.s. the Conductor Kitaniji. Joshua had a city that required much fixing ever since the previous, almost disastrous Game. Though his predictions were fairly accurate in terms of how the Game would play out, he didn't quite expect his own change of heart.

Neither did Mr. H. Or the Higher Planes. At least, not in this way...

"J, you have to sit down more often. Come here and have some coffee. Some chitchat," Mr. H. said.

"You just want to earn some easy bucks from me. I'm your only VIP customer anyway," Joshua said smugly and refused the coffee offered to him.

Silently, Mr. H. held one of Joshua's lanky arms. He allowed some of his power to escape into the Composer's Music stream.

"...Boss, hadn't I warned you? You may have powers rivaling those of an Archangel, but you've not truly ascended. Stop abusing your powers. Shibuya will not crumble in a day."

"I didn't ask for your advice, Sanae," came the cold answer. Joshua, almost angrily, withdrew his arm from Mr. H's healing hand.

Ever since that Game, Joshua had poured his energy, his life, into resurrecting soul after soul--Player after Player. Reaper after Reaper. To those he thought worthy or indicated any slight improvement from who they originally were before the Game, he gave them another chance to live their original lives again. He didn't if a Soul was already reborn into a new life or if the Higher Planes already escorted a Soul into their realm.

Sometimes, there were exceptions. Some Souls clearly clung to a certain realm, even if the Higher Planes clearly invited them to ascend or if friendly Reapers urged them to join their ranks in the UG. Like Ken Doi, the Ramen guy. His Soul was ancient, having been refined again and again through his simple lives--always the Ramen guy. Nothing came between that guy and his ramen--including the Higher Planes. The Ramen guy, like Joshua, delayed his ascension.

It was strange how humans hated death. Death and birth were all the same to Joshua, the same to Mr. H. After death can there be rebirth. If the Soul was refined enough, the person could join the Higher Planes. If the Soul was refined but not quite, they could join his Game. If the Soul hadn't experienced much improvement, the person can yet be reborn again--just with the memories of his or her past life erased--like a new slate. If the person did something utterly horrendous, he or she would just turn into a Noise.

That was until recently anyway...

"Boss, you cannot change his future. The Higher Planes already placed their friendly Timer on him. You should be happy for him."

"I will not change my mind. I'm not letting it happen."

"Look, J." Mr. H. took Joshua by the wrist sternly. His voice had turned cold and commanding. "Forget. It."

With those words, Mr. H's hand glowed as he touched what troubled Joshua the most in his memory.

"I'm sorry, J. Rules are rules. You're not my only Boss I'm afraid," Mr. H. said.

With his power, Mr. H suppressed the harsh realization, the harsh knowledge of what was to come of the boy Joshua actually expressed any decent concern about. Joshua's power easily waned, and the memory was pushed far, far away. As Joshua fell into a short slumber, Mr. H then saw everything. He couldn't see the fluctuations of emotions, if any, Joshua went through. But he could piece together what Joshua was trying to do before that said Timer ended.

"It looks like no matter how I try to protect Shibuya, to protect you and the boy, I end up worsening everything for you kids." Mr. H. sighed and gently patted Joshua's head.

"...Were you telling me something?"

"Oh, J!" Mr. H exclaimed, surprised to see Joshua awake so shortly.

For a moment, they stared at one another, until Joshua smirked. "If you like OJ so much, then you should have opened a juicing cafe."

An intolerable, snotty brat and prick as always.

"Oh yeah..." Mr. H rested a hand against the back of his head. "Well, the Higher Ups demand I give my annual report soon. They seem a bit demanding this time 'round after the small fiasco that happened here," Mr. H. reminded.

"Don't blame me it cuts into your vacation time." Joshua flipped his hair.

"Aw, Boss, it'll only be a couple of measly weeks. Why don't you take that time off and have a break? Perhaps run the cafe? You don't even have the next Game..."

Joshua was gone. He had hardly touched his coffee or even paid. The latter irritated Mr. H.

"Even without that memory, you still wouldn't pay for your damn coffee. Next time, I'll charge you a sitting fee." Mr. H. huffed loudly.

xxx

Couple of times, Joshua went back to WildKat cafe just to see if he could have a chance to speak with Neku again. But no matter how he tried, a wall, a tall, transparent wall, kept him away from that particular boy.

"Hiya Neku! How has life been?" Mr. H greeted. "Care for some tips with coffee on the side? I'll add extra cause I'm sweet. After you pay me of course."

He shouted to the point Mr. H just laughed at him. Neku, brimming with fiery at Mr. H, dug into his wallet and handed him his yen--the ugliest yen pieces he could possibly find. Then, Neku turned solemn.

Mr. H, after giving a knowing glance to the one in the backroom, replied the usual set of fibs when it concerned a certain Composer, "J's busy with repairing Shibuya. He hasn't stopped by for awhile. Why?"

In response, Neku handed him a white box.

"Ohh, I see. Sure, sure. I can give this to Boss. So, how do you like your life? How do you like Shibuya?"

Whatever Neku said made Mr. H. express that goofy, almost devious grin of his.

"Yo Neku, you owe CAT a favor for this. When you finish your errands, look at your cell. I've a job for you, aight? I'll give you the details then."

When Neku left, Joshua emerged from the backroom.

"You have one thick skin to ask a favor when you knew I was here all along," Joshua said. "How sly."

"Just buy some of my cup of joe for the road and you've made my day," Mr. H said gleefully and then handed Joshua the box. "Looks like Phones dropped them there in the streets on purpose."

Joshua took the box and opened it. Inside were Neku's headphones. He held them thoughtfully, remembering he had personally picked them up and its companion, the mp3. He remembered the long days he had kept them in his possession. Then one day, he had walked to Neku's home. He had knocked the door, only to find someone answer but not see him. Eventually, Joshua had left the headphones and mp3 at the doorstep and went away unnoticed. Now, the headphones and mp3 were back in his hand.

A few moments later, Mr. H's phone went off with the loudest, most hideous blare. From nearby, the Jupiter of Monkey store shook. Its glass shattered. The lights flickered.

"Looks like I've to go early." Mr. H pressed the send button on his cell and then stepped in front of Joshua cautiously. "You take good care of my cafe."

Joshua smirked. "Would you Angels ever take 'no' seriously?"

The outline of Joshua's form shimmered with faint, white light. He was not about to let the Angels take Mr. H so easily.

Mr. H. chuckled softly.

"As much as I appreciate your gesture of goodwill to keep me here, Boss, I'll take care of things from here. Sorry J."

He felt Mr. H brush his back. His concentration snapped. He felt his whole world flip--contort, twist. Then, his frequency changed. The transparent glass that separated Joshua and Neku shattered. A hideous shriek, the broken glass, echoed from down in the UG up to the Higher Planes. By the time Joshua knew what had happened, Mr. H. had picked him up and dropped him face first in the center of Cat Street in the RG.

"Be happy, Boss."

Then, Mr. H left him.


	2. The Pact

Zarokin: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 2: The Pact**

"Be careful!" a familiar voice cried.

A rough hand yanked Joshua to his feet and dragged him. Neku held his pins closely in one hand as he pushed Joshua behind him. As Joshua's vision cleared and his mind registered what just happened, he spotted the Noises that Neku's eyes were so focused on. The sight reconfirmed Joshua's suspicion that Neku could still see the Noises even in the RG.

"Any last words?!" Neku exclaimed.

Before Neku did anything more, Joshua flipped open his phone and dialed. A truck and a couple of detour signs scrunched the Noises. The next wave of construction equipment that materialized from the sky effectively erased them.

Neku stopped and released Joshua from his grip. He huffed. "I should've known. You could handle it yourself."

"Worried about me?"

A loud crack sounded. Neku had punched Joshua in the gut. Joshua didn't even flinch.

"Get out of my life!" Neku said coldly.

Joshua giggled. "Is that how you treat your dear friend after he saves your sorry behind?"

"My sorry behind? You were the one that brought those pink elephants Noises when you arrived!"

"Oh, so I should have teleported away from the fray and let you deal with it, my prized hero with your pins of honor that don't work in the RG," Joshua said innocently and mocked a bow.

As the sudden realization dawned on him, Neku fumed with irritation--and embarrassment. His mouth opened like a codfish and then closed when he heard others calling his name.

xxx

"'Sup, Phones!"

Beat waved at him, emerging from the thick crowd near Jupiter's store. Rhyme was also with him.

"'Sup, you guys. Since when did you two drop by?" Neku said, refusing to make eye contact with Joshua.

After two years, two sweet years, that snobby Composer decided to show up like a baby dropped by a pelican from the sky; however, Neku did recall that Joshua's landing was anything but pleasant. He had the whole army of Noises waiting for him.

Beat spoke again, "Been 'ere the whole time, man! I was with Rhyme at Jupiter's to find some shoes for her. Too bad someone really screwed that store up, those bastards." Then, Beat gave a good-natured grin. "Say, so who was that pretty thing?"

Pretty thing...

Neku's face visibly reddened. "Joshuaa!! You moron! Look at the trouble you have caused me!!" He turned only to realize Joshua was not there to quip or snicker at him. "Hn? He was here earlier! Where did he go?!"

"You mean that boy with the silver hair?" Rhyme asked.

"Bwaaah, that prissy kid was...he was...no waaay really he...?!" Beat exclaimed.

Rhyme chuckled and smiled sweetly.

"You honestly don't remember that prick?" Neku crossed his arms in disbelief. Then he supplied, "From the UG?"

Beat scratched his head. "Dunno, man. Shh--he seemed familiar...?"

"Mind telling me where _she_ went?" Neku asked, stressing one particular word venomously.

"I saw him running towards Miyashita Park," Rhyme offered.

"That pompous jerk! Uuuuargh!" Neku clamped his ears and hollered. "Sorry can't talk more! Gotta bounce!"

xxx

Joshua progressed slowly through the Miyashita Park Underpass.

"Sanae, I'm dropping your salary for this. You honestly thought by making me break my own rules that I'd be happier?"

Joshua dodged pass the Frog Noises and jumped over large Blue Sharks that appeared to take a snap at him. Though the Noises were not all Taboo, any Noises that mingled in the area were drawn to his unstable presence, his sporadic frequency. Joshua's involuntary shift from UG to RG had also left his energy sapped dry.

"I need to return to the River. At the very least then, the Higher Planes won't punish him for the error."

As if they heard what he spoke, several Noises, from the birds of preys to the wolves of the night, spawned around him. With little choice, Joshua levitated. His straight posture lacked as he guided the beams of white light around him. The static around him and his very being grew stronger and almost deafening.

From behind him, a sea of Frog Noises latched onto him and kicked. For the second time that day, Joshua plummeted. His body landed against the concrete with a loud, unpleasant snap. Before him, an Elephant Noise threw up its trunk and prepared to stomp on him.

At that instance, Joshua sensed it. He sensed the sudden flow of familiar, warm energy running through his pale legs and arms down to his toes and fingertips. He opened his eyes as another opened his. He had forged a pact.

No. Correction. _Neku _had forged a pact with him.

Joshua channeled the newfound strength into a fusion. He closed his eyes and levitated, holding out his arms to let the energy flow freely. The cold turned colder, freezing around him as his white aura glowed dimly. Then, some of Neku's burning aura flowed into him as Joshua's went to Neku. Deadly sparks and massive waves of ice and fire showered around them. When Joshua and Neku opened their eyes, the last of the Noises were obliterated.

Neku released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Joshua leaned against the wall of graffiti and crossed his arms. He only wore a visibly tired frown on his face.

"You are quite troublesome," Joshua stated, "You do know that pacting with me gives those Noises all rights to attack you, hm?"

Neku's face paled.

"You...I? No, no, hell no...!"

Denial.

Joshua giggled. Putting a hand into his hair, he pretended to act embarrassed and grinned. "Oh, com' now. Let us not be shy. Your strong desires to protect me allowed you to forge a pact with me. Now should we head off already, dear?"

xxx

Neku visibly glowered.

"You conniving creep, this is all your doing!"

"Hn? Looks like once a partner always will be, right?" Joshua snickered.

"You did it on purpose!"

Joshua sighed loudly. "Why ever would I do that? You dish little to no damage to even a measly Frog Noise unless we have fusion. In your state, you're little use to me, proxy."

"I believe that never has stopped you before."

"Ah, glad you realized. Allow me." Joshua snapped out his cell and aimed.

"Why you...!"

As Joshua moved, Neku sealed his eyes shut. He instinctively put his arms in front of him--a futile attempt to block a bullet, his ticket to Joshua's Game. He waited for his Soul to lift away into a temporary state of oblivion. He waited to hear all the people's voices again, to pull himself from the floor of Scramble Crossing, to roar at the top of his lungs:

"What the hell!?"

He waited. But none of it came.

He heard swift footsteps and a cool breeze pass him. And static. Neku, feeling a bit braver, opened his eyes and turned, seeing a couple of tandem bicycles appear and squash a screeching Mole Noise and its bomb. Joshua tucked his cell back into his pocket and continued walking away.

"Where are you going?"

Joshua played with his hair. "Hm. After two precious years, you are still so slow and clueless. We are going to WildKat before you, my powerless escort, turn into an entree."

xxx

"Mr. H! Mr. H...?" Neku called.

The bells of Mr. H's cafe clanged dreadfully as Neku hurriedly slammed the door shut.

"Where is he?"

"Gone," Joshua said, refusing to elaborate.

"Thanks. I really didn't know that."

"Do you expect me to entertain you during your stay? Do you still play house or hide-and-seek with your friends?"

"No need. I don't even want to know what else you call entertainment."

Joshua smirked and headed to the backroom. Neku followed him.

"In another hour, you can leave. The Noises should die down by then." Joshua dropped onto the sofa and then chuckled. "Unless you really want to watch me sleep."

"For once, honestly, do you know where Mr. H went? He mentioned something in his text that he was on an extended leave."

Joshua sighed.

"Fine. When Shibuya was stable a few days ago, Sanae asked for an extravagant vacation, so I gave it to him," Joshua said dramatically.

"In the form of what? A shot with the gun?" Neku asked, spitefully.

"Now why would I do that? He's just making out with the Higher Ups is all," Joshua said. "He's talking about how great I am as his employer and asking for my promotion of course."

"Who wishes to promote a clinging piece of snot anyway?"

Joshua smirked. "Ah, you want me around longer? How sweet of you."

"Like I care. If you ascend, I just won't have enough chances to kick your ass from here to the farthest Darklit Planet for screwing my life up."

"Ah...you're welcome."

Neku's ears did not betray him when he heard the quiet tone of disappointment. Mocked disappointment for sure.

"Pop quiz, Neku. What is the farthest Darklit Planet?"

"Pluto."

Joshua giggled.

"You really should learn to count to six, Neku. Besides, I can't even give you partial credit. Pluto isn't a planet."

"The meteors you summoned must've destroyed it."

"I am flattered."

In response, Neku shoved a bottle of Tablets into Joshua's hand.

Neku stated, "Quit acting like a brat, unless you want me to stuff your face with old burgers from yesterday."

"I am the Composer, so it isn't necessary," Joshua said stubbornly.

Neku took the bottle of tablets from Joshua's hand and whacked him on the head. Joshua was unfazed but for Neku--it was a poor substitute for strangling the Composer at this moment.

Neku stated, "It is quite necessary if I've a pact with you. Now eat those darn bits."

"Bytes, Neku, bytes," Joshua corrected, "If it were in bits, you could hardly cram a single Bravery+ from the pharmacist." *

For a brief moment, Neku thought he was talking to Pi-Face. "Geek."

"Since when you became Mother, dear?"

"Fine. Keep being a pencil thin model wearing Lapin Angelique then. I'm making ramen, so don't expect me to make you any, twit."

"I'll have Shio Ramen, Mr. Doi's assistant."

Neku gave Joshua his best death glare as Joshua innocently played with his hair.

"Oh, I feel a frost wave here. Give me a coat while you are at it."

A large Amida jacket was dumped onto Joshua's head. "Shut up, snowman."

xxx

After long moments of hustle and bustle in Mr. H's kitchen, Neku dropped a bowl of seafood ramen before Joshua.

"...So, are you going to eat it?"

"I was surveying the ramen bowl." Joshua crossed his arms and said in his most deadpan voice. "It's filled with Neku cooties."

Neku sputtered.

"Fine, fine. I'll dig in. I don't want to spoil your idea of a date," Joshua commented smugly.

Neku stormed his way out to the front of Wildkat fast. Then, he stopped.

Joshua said nothing. No compliments to the chef. No mm, paradise--not like Neku expected that comment anyway. He at least expected Joshua to tell him the words "No, thank you." Anything.

But Joshua said nothing except...

"...What did you put in it?"

Neku sighed, somewhat disappointed. It must have really turned out bad. Joshua always had an acquired taste.

"...are you all right?" Joshua asked. He placed his chopsticks down.

"Did I really...I didn't...forget it! That is...really, really bad. You don't have to eat it," Neku said.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all! Really, it is all right! I don't mind! I'll just eat it tomorrow."

He took the bowl and chopsticks from Joshua and headed to the front. At the corner of his eye, he caught Joshua give a slight frown, or pout much to Neku's confusion. Neku stored the leftover ramen in the glass fridge.

"So, how has the RG been for you?" Joshua asked.

Neku tossed the cleaned chopsticks into the drawer. He beamed a little and dug his foot to the floor as if spelling something on Mr. H's tiles. "Very nice. Got to see my friends everyday. Got to really live Shibuya. It is great."

"...I am happy for you."

The comment, though possibly sincere, felt unusually distant.

Neku returned to the backroom and saw Joshua stretched out on the sofa. Joshua had his eyes closed.

"...But is something happening to Shibuya again?" Neku asked hesitantly.

Joshua put a hand to his forehead. "Nothing new. After what Shibuya has been through and the new changes implemented, of course it wouldn't be stable. Big deal."

"What do you call you falling from the sky into a bunch of Noises that nearly erased you?"

"Everyone wanted to meet the brilliant me," Joshua said with unfailing confidence.

"Quit messing with me. Unless that fall really screwed your brilliant brain, you should remember that Noises are not supposed to enter the RG. The Noises nearly made you their banquet, Composer."

"I predicted my samurai with his cape and armor would come rescue me. Of course, I had to be the one to get us out anyway."

Then, Joshua reminded tiredly.

"You should head back now. If you must head towards Scramble, you would want to take the route pass Pegaso. If possible, just stay at your friends' homes a few days. Be a good boy."

"You forgot. We are partners."

Joshua answered, rather indifferently, "As long as we don't act as one, you can escape the Noises and live your normal life, dear."

"I get it. You still do not trust me. Fine. I'll get lost then."

Neku made his way out of WildKat after saying those words with bitterness. He slammed the WildKat's door with the loudest, most unnerving clang that the bells from the door had fallen.

One side of him hinted that he may had taken Joshua's words the wrong way. But the more revengeful side of him spoke louder, saying, "Why stay? He killed you twice. He put you through that one nightmare of a Game three times. He manipulated you, using you as a tool, and never answered you after the Game. Besides, that arrogant prick would never say a word of thanks to you anyway..."

Neku lowered his head gloomily.

"But I trust you. You have... taken care of Shibuya."

Then, his ears picked up hearing quiet strands of Music coming from WildKat.

After several moments, he creaked open the door and stared.

"This..." he breathed.

In awe, he watched as the notes Joshua etched with his fingers surround him. The few notes that appeared at first came out beautiful, though a tinge bit sorrowful. Neku closed his eyes and leaned as the intertwined notes were released into Shibuya. Perhaps somewhere at Scramble Crossing, a child reunited with her parent. Perhaps at the Mexican Dog, the shopkeeper finally is serving Chili Dogs again. Whatever the case was--something good must have happened somewhere in Shibuya from that Music.

Then, the least Neku expected happened. He felt Joshua's aura abruptly fluctuate and then fade. The depth of Joshua's concentration and precision snapped. Like nails against a chalkboard, an ear-piercing chord emerged from his hand. He created it.

"Joshua!"

His breaths turned shallow and quick.

"Joshua! Stop!" Neku exclaimed.

Joshua's hand reached to touch the chord. Like acid, it burned through his hand. He winced. The sharp edges of the chord struck him. It tore through his Music and escaped. Joshua's eyes widened then closed. And he collapsed, defeated.

xxx

* - A byte is approximately 8 bits.


	3. Trust Me

Thank you for the reviews and feedback, **Kawaii Tenshi no Shi, Secca Irises, ZiggyTwiggy, and MePiP**! I hope Neku's voice sounds better and hope that the curious question about the ugly chord is answered. This game certainly does not get the attention it deserves! I am glad I kept everyone in character and continue to strive to! Cheers!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 3: Trust Me**

A hand grazed his sweaty forehead. Then, hands briefly took the covers and pulled them around him more closely. Joshua gradually stirred awake, finding his spirit--his entire being--unusually heavy. When his purple eyes opened and decently focused, he caught Neku wringing a cloth dry. They were in Sanae's bedroom where the smell of dark coffee had a lesser of a presence.

"Neku. I thought I told you to..."

Neku splat the cool cloth on Joshua's forehead.

"Sorry for acting like the plague, Composer."

Joshua muttered, still nauseated from the eating pain the shrieking chord gave him. "Why are you so eager to enter another Game?"

"I hardly had time to leave before you kissed the carpet and passed out the whole night," Neku replied coolly.

Joshua, almost reflexively, moved closer to Neku. His numbing pain felt a bit more manageable when he was closer to his proxy.

"...I hate negativity, Shibuya's negativity. It affects me more than anyone, including the Higher..."

"And you are a bundle of Natural Puppy love," Neku interrupted sarcastically but did not back away from Joshua's close proximity.

"I know I am. Your and Megumi's efforts had managed to sway me to preserve Shibuya. Of course, your efforts would not sway everyone else who agreed with Shibuya's destruction at the beginning."

"...The Higher Planes want to destroy Shibuya after all the nightmare we went through?!" Neku blurted, finally understanding.

"They certainly do not appreciate the improvements already made. Honestly, how much better would Shibuya be if they booted me? I did create the Game."

Then, Neku moved away.

"You must've really soothed their tempers with your arrogance."

Like oil on fire.

"It is not arrogance. It is called self-confidence. You really ought to learn some of it from me."

Joshua caught the towel and fresh clothes aimed at his face.

"Screw that. Go smother yourself in the shower!" Neku replied with a deadly glare.

"Oh~" Joshua giggled. "I didn't know you would come up with such a good reason for me to strip. Care to peek?"

In response, Neku slammed the door on him.

.

Showering and bathing-- for Composers, Angels, and the like--were more of a pleasure than a necessity. However, he did not regret it when he turned the water on warm and stepped in.

Shibuya never snowed. It hardly ever rained--least of all in the UG. Here, the warm water beat against his body. For a little while, it massaged every tension that he had not noticed he had been holding. For a few, good seconds, it gave his mind a chance to wander on its own without Shibuya's crying voices calling him. The feeling almost felt as good as though he were a human again--capable of tuning out everything and everyone around him.

Then, he paled. He stared hard at the soap in his hands. He stared at his reflection on the shower's glass. In disbelief, he summoned a little spark of his power. The once soothing water lashed out at him. It shocked him.

He gasped.

xxx

"Joshua?!"

Neku decidedly stopped himself from barging in the moment he heard Joshua's gasp-- followed by stumbling and a loud clunk against the shower basin. Neku smirked, imagining a startled and bashful Composer dropping his soap clumsily. He suppressed a vengeful laughter when he also heard the distinct squeak of the yellow rubber duck in the shower. After a minute, the shower of water had stopped. Joshua had shut it off. Neku listened to the rustle of footsteps.

"You all right in there?" Neku called from the hallway.

"...Any reason I shouldn't be?" Joshua giggled and then added as an afterthought, "Hn, you wanted to join me?"

"In your dreams. I was afraid you'd fallen asleep," Neku replied sarcastically. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

Finally, Joshua creaked open the bathroom door a sliver. At first, Neku refused to look as Joshua finished buttoning only one out of five buttons on his shirt crookedly. Neku closed his eyes and anticipated feeling Joshua's warm and demanding presence, threatening to blind him.

Neku's eyes widened when he sensed its absence.

He shoved the door wide open and barged in. He held onto Joshua's freezing arm furiously.

"Dammit, what did you do?"

"I am disappointed in you for not noticing." Joshua frowned and answered as he would to a five year-old. "I showered."

Neku ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Why are you so cold?" Neku tried again.

"I took a cold shower."

Neku's eyes narrowed. He never remembered Joshua ever making such a stupid lie.

"Liar. I see the steam on the mirrors."

"Naughty Neku. You were checking me out then?" Joshua grinned.

Neku growled and blamed the shower's steam for causing the flush on his face. He plopped an ugly pink towel on Joshua's head and proceeded to wring his wet hair dry.

"Quit the games," Neku said, "After two years, I see you falling down from the sky and nearly slaughtered by Noises. Last night, you created some sort of Music that nearly shredded you to pieces. You passed out. Now, you are a freaked ice block, and you still refuse to trust me, jerk."

xxx

Joshua sighed.

"...Fine. I will quench your undying curiosity. I am human again, Neku."

A dead silence.

He failed to mention that some divine intervention had made him human. And it took him a Music blunder and then a shock in the bathroom to figure this out.

"What do you mean by that? I thought you were alive."

Neku's voice came out surprisingly calm.

Joshua said, "I still am--but it does not mean I was human."

"But you cannot be an Angel. You told me earlier you have not ascended. What are you a..."

"Composer," Joshua supplied.

He refused to elaborate the matter. He did not want Neku, of all people in the world, to realize that Joshua, Shibuya's Composer, was feeling his emotions for the first time in centuries. Unfortunately, the first emotions that returned to him were those that would make anyone feel like the Grim Heaper's Trash.

"...Can you still beat the Noises? Your abilities?" Neku asked.

After a moment of thought, Joshua finally revealed, "I just need to make sure that I channel my powers through a medium. It is only a slight inconvenience. After a few days, I am sure I would return to normal. I just need to be conservative with my abilities."

Like that girl Shiki, Beat, and most other Players in His Game. Shiki depended on Mr. Mew to channel her attacks on the Noises. Beat took up his skateboard. But back then, Joshua was not dependent on his cell or anyone to lay any blows on the Noises. He simply used it to act like a normal Player...

Suddenly, the tension increased around them. Neku felt afraid, and Joshua knew it.

Joshua sighed. "You are such a chicken. The Noises are not after you, Neku. If you keep avoiding the Noises and leave me alone, they would leave you alone as well..."

"Shut up. You are not leaving my side," Neku said, so quickly that Joshua nearly missed it.

Joshua furrowed his brows. "...You are the most foolish child I have ever met, Neku Sakuraba. You are trying to save your own killer with a bunch of souvenirs."

"I may have no way of ever making use of these pins. But I need no damn pins to share a fusion or my energy with my partner," Neku snapped.

For a split second, Joshua's mind froze. He closed his eyes and breathed. Neku did not rebuke Joshua for shooting him. No matter how hard Joshua tried to bring up the subject to provoke Neku into leaving him, Neku never left...

"Plus, it is the easiest way to tote a brainless, thankless icicle around town anyway."

They heard the front door of WildKat open and close. It was WildKat's first customer that day.

Neku tossed, and Joshua caught his cell reflexively.

"Not afraid I would leave?"

"You would have if you could the other day. Try not to act as a stubborn snot for once and get some sleep."

As nice as that advice sounded, Joshua refused to obey so willingly.

.

It took painfully long for Joshua to enter the backroom. His hazy vision strained to make sense of his surroundings. He laid a hand on the arm of the couch to steady his footing. From the partially opened door that separated the backroom from the cafe's front, he spotted Neku in the other room.

"I'm sorry. But if you intend to kick his ass, get in line then," Neku replied venomously.

Unmistakably, Joshua sensed a lower Angel, an angel that did not quite match Sanae's level, much less his own if his abilities weren't suppressed. Even so, at his and Neku's current situation, even the lowest minions of the Higher Planes were deemed a threat in Joshua's eyes.

The Angel spoke, "Neku, we understand. We know of the pain and misery the Composer put you through. Do you agree that he should be punished for his misdeeds and the burden placed upon you and your friends?"

"...I agree," Neku said.

Joshua winced.

Did really everyone in the world had to judge him? For others, they had no right to judge. They never knew the Composer, much less Joshua. For Neku, he could fathom why and never expected Neku to ever forgive him. But Joshua still had his reasons.

If Neku had not grown attached to him, Joshua might have found another way to become Neku's partner again and continue escorting his proxy down to the finish line. But at the end against Pi-Face, the only way Joshua managed to help Neku for the third Game was to give him another chance and another motivation to finish the Game. A real chance. A false motivation.

Finish the Game for the sake of his death. Not like Joshua died anyway...

Then, there was that fourth, incredibly brief Game. When Neku lost, Joshua--even now--could not believe what kind of price he had to collect from him...

"I agree with you," Neku repeated. "But you are one year too late. I will never let you take him."

Joshua held his breath as Neku blocked the slightly opened door that connected to WildKat's backroom. He sensed the rapid beating of Neku's heart.

"You cannot decide that. Not even the Composer. Not this time. At his current state, he will perish the moment Shibuya falls into more drastic changes. You cannot deny that his current condition cannot support Shibuya--much less restore it," the Angel told him.

"That is untrue. J...The Composer's stronger than that!" Neku said defiantly. He held to his pins, useless pins, with such a death grip. It was probably his only way to prevent the anxiety from claiming and immobilizing the rest of his limbs.

"Think how you will, human. Now, move. Move out of the way, before I have no choice but to force you."

"Neku..." Joshua whispered.

xxx

In response, Neku backed up more, refusing to give Joshua any chance to enter the foreboding room. If the Angel had one glance at Joshua, the Angel would--with no doubts in Neku's mind--make an instant kill like a starving wolf crunching its sharp fangs down on a weak leader's neck.

"You do know that you can't stop me?" The Angel smiled sweetly.

Golden intricate webs with piercing edges shot out from the Angel's hands.

"What the...!"

Neku screamed. Before he took full impact, a shimmer of white light formed at his chest. Then, the light flowed through his entire body and snapped the piercing webs. Remnants of the webs sliced marks on his face and tore wounds on his arms. Yet he survived.

"How could this be? How could you? He?" The Angel glowered.

"If you dare move any closer, I will erase you!" Neku threatened, much too determined to rid the ominous Angel that he had no time to wonder how Joshua ever managed to conjure that much power and transfer it into him.

The Angel huffed. "...Well. At least I confirmed your darling Composer is somewhere nearby."

The Angel's fingers snapped. From the backroom--from behind the very door Neku refused to move away from, Joshua hissed in pain as a Timer ticked all too loudly in his ears and burnt like someone had branded his very face. Neku cringed for he too felt its impact.

"Time's ticking. It's a shame that the cafe owner forgot to put up any noteworthy shields to protect your Composer from the Higher Planes."

"You put a Timer on him?!" Neku bellowed, sensing Joshua's sudden waning.

As though reacting to his very anger, the white aura that outlined him became more pronounced.

"A friendly Timer that only us Higher Planes can read. Do no fear. Everyone has his turn! He does have the lucky choice to ascend or turn into Noise." The Angel laughed, alarmingly similar to how Uzuki would giggle to make Neku's life ten times miserable.

"Why you...!" Neku exclaimed, charging like Beat had done in rampage after Rhyme's erasure in a mad, hopeful effort to connect his fist with the Angel's jaw.

But the Angel disappeared. The white aura that enveloped Neku faded. His fist hit thin air; instead, he slammed the counter angrily. His mind raced wildly that it exhausted him completely. Neku slumped down against the door that separated him from Joshua. As much as he wanted to see Joshua, he was also in no mood for teasing or for the indifferent shrug Joshua might give to act as if nothing in the world bothered him.

Neku steadied the tremor in his voice.

"Hey."

"Hn? Ask away," Joshua replied.

Neku smiled faintly, glad to hear the familiar voice. "You helped me out there, didn't you. I thought you said you'd conserve your energy."

Joshua smirked, which was rewarded with a scowl from Neku. "I said that I should. Does not mean I would, dear."

"You need to rest, dammit."

"Shut up and rest then. Do dream of me, my dear, dear partner."

.

.

The two, Joshua and Neku, rested with their backs against the door that separated them. The presence of one comforted the other, though neither willingly admitted it. Underneath the door, their fingers betrayed their concern for each other as they mingled closely together, touching one another gently.

xxx

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!


	4. To Understand Him

Hello and thank you very much **Katraa, Arcane Era, elietta, Ziggytwiggy, and DarknesswhereIbelong!** And if I have not thanked those of you who put alerts or favorite-d this fanfiction, thank you as well! It is all your contributions that have made this story so great. I am glad everyone liked the last part of the previous chapter.

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 4: To Understand Him**

Neku glared at Joshua as Joshua closed the front door of WildKat and locked it.

"As much as I enjoyed our intimate moment on the floor there, I was starving and you happened to block the normal exit," Joshua explained. "You should be proud of your partner's ingenuity."

"How did you get out?" Neku asked.

Joshua flipped his hair unconcernedly. He feigned innocence. "I took an emergency shortcut."

Joshua might have dismissed the issue about his temporary venture outside; however, Neku's trained eyes detected Joshua flinching when a hand grazed his shoulder.

"Did you teleport again?! Fell out the window?"

Neku tore Joshua's shirt open and saw the new damage, wounds and other markings that nothing but those monstrous Noises would ever make.

"Hn? Now, you are sounding like Sanae when he gets mad. Learn to breathe. I took care of things."

"You call this taken care of? Why didn't you wake me up?! Or at worst blast open that door to get in here?" Neku exclaimed.

Joshua smiled, knowingly. "You haven't slept very well since the Game. I couldn't have possibly disturbed your sweet dreams about me."

Neku was quiet. Joshua had a point. Neku had not have such deep, rejuvenating sleep since--forever. And while he rested against the door with Joshua on the other side--so closeby--the other's presence comforted him long enough to let sleep claim him.

"Idiot, why would you go through all that trouble because of something as trivial as..." Neku said.

Then, a thought occurred to him, and Neku knitted his brows together and stared hard at the floor. For a moment, Neku's hands lingered a little longer before Joshua gently pushed his hands away and buttoned his shirt, covering his new wounds again.

"...You were trying to leave again, weren't you?"

When Joshua gave no reply, Neku growled with frustration. He took Joshua by the shoulders and shook him.

"Am I right?!"

Joshua shrugged with disinterest. "So what if I did? I am here, aren't I?"

Neku huffed, obviously agitated.

As he left Neku lost in his thoughts, Joshua pushed pass him and took the bowl of leftover ramen Neku had made the previous day.

"You eating that thing?"

"The last time I had it, it didn't kill me. In fact, I give you my compliments. Why you left your poor Composer starving last night and throughout the day is beyond me."

"Joshua!" Neku exclaimed. "You're too confusing!"

Ignoring Neku, Joshua hummed to himself as he warmed the bowl of ramen up and quietly sampled it every now and then.

Neku listened and for awhile--he soaked in the small Music that came forth and formed from Joshua's humming. Then, he peered outside and saw the Music, as insignificant as it may had sounded, bring the ruined Jupiter of the Monkey store's blinking sign back to life. He saw the salesperson again, sifting through the stacks of jackets and hanging the backpacks back onto their proper racks.

He forgot to scold Joshua for consuming his dwindling powers again.

"Are you up for going to Miyashita later on tonight?"

"...Hee hee. Do I detect a date?"

Neku fumed. He just knew that would happen. "I am only offering to take you out, dimwit, since you wouldn't stay in this cafe even if I asked you to! So are you in?"

"...Fine, fine. Do not want to break my poor Neku's heart today."

"Good. Then take this."

Neku pulled from his pocket the leftover bottle of Tablets and struck it down on the counter in front of Joshua.

"You really should find a better place to hide this than the corner of the couch."

"I wasn't hiding it, Neku. I only took as much as I felt like," Joshua said.

"Then take more of it today or else I will seal you in the broom closet for the evening."

xxx

They went pass the walls of graffiti at Miyashita. They went off the roads and the sidewalks and onto the grass. They passed a few ancient, drooping trees and a couple of idle benches. Before Joshua knew it, Neku had taken them to a small, enclosed spot of greenery, where the trees blocked everything except a stray path, a lamppost, a bench, and the moonlight. In the center of this enclosed, peaceful space, a small pond captured the reflection of the moon from the sky.

"Beat takes us here all the time when he wants to show his slick skateboard moves. Noises hardly ever come here, so we should be all right."

"Daisukenojo has good taste."

Neku easily imagined Beat pounding Joshua over the head for using that forbidden name of his. "It was Rhyme who found and showed us this place."

"Ah, of course."

After a long moment of silence, Neku asked, "...Why do you avoid me?"

"...I do?" Joshua pretended to ponder. He readjusted his thick, blue sweater from Dragon Couture to keep its material from aggravating and rubbing against the fresh bandages on his shoulders and chest.

Pushing back the hood of his Ashura jacket from JoM, Neku folded his arms and glowered.

"Cut it out. I know you have been ever since you sent us all back to the RG. I even invited you to come join us at Hachiko and all you said was 'hmph' and leave."

"...you heard me?"

Neku's eyes widened as if startled, as if he said something he had no intentions of revealing.

"Yeah. Sometimes. A lot less if I leave Shibuya."

Joshua closed his eyes. A Composer can never leave his city. But he was not about to tell Neku about that. He did not want pity.

His purple eyes flashed open when he heard Neku slot in a coin into a tiny machine by the pond. From the dispenser, the machine spewed out two brown boxes. Neku ripped one open, while he tossed Joshua the other box.

"My, my. On our first date since two years, I didn't know for you to be so bold already," Joshua commented smugly.

"You ass. It's fish food. Since when we're dating!" Neku exclaimed.

Neku furiously emptied some of the fish food into his hand. He held it momentarily and then gave his arm a huge swing.

As the fish food fell into the water, Joshua watched the dark, calm pond turn into a theatrical marvel. The pond came to life. Groups of koi swarmed, and several jumped into the air as they competed one another for the food given. Colors of red, white, orange, and yellow from their scales flickered in the moonlight. The waters echoed of the ravishing splashing of koi even as Neku let another wave of fish food descend into the water.

Joshua only stared. Though he had watched friends, couples, and families countless times do the exact same thing throughout the day, everyday--today felt very different. For the first time in a long, long time, he felt a small spark of warmness from all of Shibuya's negativity. It was as if for a brief moment--he experienced Shibuya at its greatest.

"...I'm not letting what I spent go to waste," Neku said.

Before Joshua knew it, Neku pulled the box from Joshua's hand and shook the contents out. Neku forcefully put the fish food into Joshua's hand. Then, he dragged Joshua forward and put their hands in the water.

The sudden sensation of Neku's hand and the cold water forced Joshua to let out a quiet gasp. Neku's eyes revealed his amusement, but he said nothing as the kois' smooth, bright-colored bodies pressed up closely against the two boys' arms and hands.

"Ever wondered what your price was for me to remain Composer? To send you back to the RG?" Joshua asked.

His fingers tingled as the kois continued to suck and nip the fish food and his fingers.

"...My price?" Neku asked.

Joshua smirked. "You cannot tell me you have forgotten already? You were asking me why I never materialized before you for two years."

"What does you not appearing for two years have anything do with..." Neku then stared at him. Hard. "Price? You?!"

Joshua giggled as he turned in hopes to catch a glimpse of Neku's paling face. He felt Neku squeeze the back of Joshua's hand even more tightly.

"Or more specifically, your quality time and meeting with me was the price." Joshua clarified dramatically. "I didn't know I have such a special, special place in your heart."

Neku spaced, but Joshua was not going to let Neku off the hook that easily.

"Earth to Neku. You can let go now. The scary school of fish have left."

"Oh shut up!" Neku averted his eyes. He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. "...So what happens now? It's obvious that I can see you!"

Joshua let his hand linger longer in the water before he stood up as well.

"The laws might have been considered upheld if I had managed to leave without so much of a fuss from my proxy. I suppose it gives the Higher Planes more of a reason to ask my ascension."

"...Those bastards."

Joshua sighed.

"The Higher Planes put their friendly Timer on anyone at anytime. No one but them can see it, and no one but them knows the reasons behind their inconvenient time of choosing."

"Is there any way to rid that Timer?"

Neku had walked a few steps away. He had his back turned to Joshua.

"...So you do care if I ascend."

"No, I do not care!" Neku snapped.

Joshua fell silent.

He decided, "As much as I enjoyed our lovely date, I think it's time that we lovebirds depart. I trust that you'd live to a happy, fulfilling life even if I'm no longer there to babysit you as much as I like."

From hearing this, Neku turned to Joshua, who wore his forced, enigmatic smile on his face.

"I promise to make sure Sanae does not have your hide for this. I just know Sanae could not possibly part with his super number one CAT fan. I am the Composer of Shibuya, and I will dismiss you from the duties he imposed on you to take care of me."

"Joshua, what are you saying...?!"

Joshua was not about to tell Neku how he accidentally came across Neku's purple phone that held an old text message from Sanae. Sanae told Neku to take care of him, the Composer of Shibuya. That would be another big drop in some coffee guy's salary.

"Admit it. You cannot do a thing."

"Joshua, listen to me...!"

"No matter what you cannot stop Shibuya from changing. You cannot stop the Noises that come forth when around me. You cannot stop the Timer or the Higher Planes. These are my problems. I do not wish any harm to fall on you due to your petty involvement."

"You selfish, ignorant piece of...!"

"I am returning to the UG, Neku."

Neku opened his mouth in protest, but Joshua silenced him.

"...And you are not going," Joshua finished.

Joshua gently opened one of Neku's hands that had balled into an angry fist. He placed a black, blank pin in the once empty palm.

"Take and keep this pin for me. In case."

Joshua felt his own voice grow unsteady, so he refused to say anything else. He quickly gave Neku's hand one last squeeze and left hurriedly. He felt his own being weaken as he walked further and further away from Neku. Around him, Shibuya's negativity grew denser and loomed. At one point, his Soul unconsciously reached out to Neku's for comfort.

He then heard Neku scream at him.

"See if I care! Get out of my life!"

Joshua laughed in reply, but in his heart, he felt as though a piece of it had left him.

xxx

"That jerk! Stupid snot!"

Neku's fist hit the statue so many times that his knuckles bruised and seethed, but the statue was an incredibly poor replacement of the Composer's own face. Joshua had really left him.

He dropped onto a green, wooden bench with a loud creak. In his hand, Neku squeezed that little, infuriating pin Joshua gave him, intending to bend and toss it far, far away, so he would never see it again. Though in the back of his mind, he found the pin unusually familiar.

"...No way. Isn't this the same pin Mr. H used to make Rhyme into a Noise? What Pi-Face and his minions' Noise pins were made of? Dammit Joshua! I'm never going to perch on your bony shoulder as your little pet!"

"Neku?"

Surprised, Neku stood up and easily turned to the direction of the voice. As if on cue, a lamppost lit and revealed Rhyme bundled in one of her brother's Wild Boar beanie and a new coat a bit too big for her. She also carried with her one of Beat's old but well-kept and well-loved skateboards. Her pendant flickered underneath the direct light.

"Rhyme, what are you doing here?" his voice softened, concealing the frustration he was spouting.

"Beat's out here performing his new moves. He wanted to practice before showing them to me tonight. It was supposed to be a sneak preview." She smiled sweetly. "Would you like to join us? I think Brother wouldn't mind."

"Sure."

"...Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Rhyme took a seat on the green bench. She looked towards Neku with her pretty, pleasant smile and waited patiently. The smile was enough to encourage Neku to confide with Rhyme.

"...Rhyme. How did you feel when you turned into a Noise?"

"When I was with Beat? I felt content and safe..." Rhyme paused thoughtfully. "Would you mind telling me what happened?"

Neku clasped his hands. He took a deep, very deep breath.

"Well, there is this prick I know. I still have no idea why I even bother to help him! Today, he told me off and left again. For some silly reason of his he gave me this black pin and told me to keep it. In case. Wants me to turn into his pet, that jerk."

"And you think he meant for you to turn into a Noise? Is that it?"

When Neku fell silent, mostly to bite back his anger, Rhyme took it as an affirmative.

"...I honestly don't think that is what he had in mind."

"Why would you say that?" Neku asked.

He had his doubts. Joshua had taken a gun and shot him twice--each time with a smile. He showed no tears as Neku had. Why would turning him into a Noise be any different?

"When I saw him leave that other day, he had a sad look on his face." Rhyme explained, "He looked rather lonely and... deeply troubled."

Neku did not know what to say. As a Composer, Joshua rarely expressed his true emotions. But then again, he vaguely remembered Mr. H telling him the similar thing long before in the UG.

"That look reminded me of the time I pushed Beat away from that Noise in the UG."

"Huh?"

"For awhile long before that happened, I also had that kind of face and feeling. As if I knew something wrong would happen and did not want anyone to know about it," Rhyme said carefully. She then averted her eyes to the floor. "Besides, I do not see any reason why he would want you to turn into Noise if he wants you to keep the pin for him."

Keep the pin in case. In case Joshua turned into...

A Noise.

"Dammit he...! Why?!"

Neku lowered his head and hid his face in the tall collar of his jacket. He started to walk forward quickly.

"Thanks, Rhyme. I'm sorry I can't join you and Beat tonight."

"I know," she replied. She stood and handed Neku her skateboard. "Take this. With what Beat has taught you, I've confidence that you'd catch up to your friend in no time!"

"I owe you one. See you!"

He dropped the skateboard to the ground and went.

"A father's treasure. A brother's comfort. A friend's both. I hope you find him soon!" she cried. "Tell him to come see us, and Beat will treat us to some burgers!"

As Neku rode the skateboard hurriedly down the rails and towards the subway station nearby, he heard from a distance Beat calling out to Rhyme. From Neku's chest, a dim, white glow illuminated.

xxx

Joshua flipped close his cellphone. The once running subway train had stopped, supposedly waiting for another subway train to pass before proceeding. Every passenger had left at the previous stop.

"It is late." He observed idly.

When he looked up, he indeed saw no one in his car. Before he realized that everyone from that entire subway had already left, vanished, he saw a rather tall, burly individual, reading the newspaper with little interest.

Joshua frowned deeply and crossed his arms. He rose to his feet.

"Another minion of the Higher Planes here to greet me?"

"Pass twelve o'clock marks another day. Let us call this The Express Menu to Heaven. Welcome aboard." The giant Angel in a white hoodie grinned cheekily and tossed his newspapers aside. The Angel had a deep, gruff voice but refused to reveal a face.

"What makes you think I am staying?"

At that instance, a high-pitched shriek brought Joshua to his knees. Dialing rapidly, Joshua pressed hard on the last button to summon two motor scooters to fall onto the giant. The force between the Angel and Joshua caused the windows of the subway car to shatter to pieces. By some stray luck, he blinded the Angel with his camera. While the Angel momentarily lost focus on sealing Joshua in the subway car, Joshua channeled his power and pried a door open. He ran towards the exit, but a transparent barrier flung him aside.

The Angel laughed at him.

"That hurt, didn't it?"

Then, a sense of fear crept into his mind as Joshua laid, staring far down at an open space of Noises, a withering tree, and two cruddy two and three story buildings below them. The Timer that burned in him pounded loudly.

"Hm, well you do see where we are right? If I start this car again, these rails go beyond Shibuya district. I advise you that you be a good boy and accept your ascension."

"Accept or be pulverized by an electrical field made to destroy a Composer who leaves his territory. I could see there is no pressure in making my decision," Joshua said.

The Angel approached and stepped on Joshua's hand that held his cell tightly. Joshua winced, feeling the weight of the Angel threatening to crush both cell and hand.

"Stop your nonsense. You will ascend."

"It is not over yet."

"You think I would not pound you to the earth and make you, boy?"

With emphasis, the Angel crushed Joshua's hand harder, but Joshua made no motion to give in despite the biting pain.

"I promised someone I'd make Shibuya a better place. I will not ascend."

Joshua nimbly took the cell with his free hand and dialed away. A wave of sewer covers smashed against the Angel and shoved him to the other side of the subway car with a satisfying scrunch. When the monstrous Angel went to his feet, he had a murderous glow concentrated in one hand.

"You think I am _that_ easy of a target to make it onto your ascended list?" Joshua grinned.

"You will regret angering me, you spoiled brat! Taste my power!"

Joshua's eyes widened momentarily. Then, he smirked and shut his eyes. He opened his arms wide. As leftover boom boxes, motorcycles, and detour signs rained down onto the howling Angel, the Angel's monstrous blob of light engulfed Joshua and slammed his body ruthlessly against the transparent barrier that sealed the door.

A piercing cry sounded. The barrier had fallen. Another shriek echoed.

It was his own voice.

He blamed his human body for taking that anticipated blow utterly poorly.

"Neku, how could you?"

Though he knew this time as he fell backwards out the subway... it was his fault, his choice, entirely.

xxx

Please read and review. Thank you again!


	5. One Step Behind You

A big thank you to my reviewers! And of course to all of you who favorite-d or put alerts! *offers chocolate chip cookies*

Arcane Era: S. O. C. Save Our Composer! XD; (vaguely remembers Pi-Face...)

Zarokin: Same here! My biggest problem was with jellyfish and that thing that flips people into the air. Ha. It took me awhile to learn to "dodge gracefully." :D

MyWorldToday: Of course Joshua would find every way to make Neku's life 10x more difficult. It makes everything even more fun to write.

Frog-Wallet: I'll make sure to keep up with the solid updates, since I cannot promise no cliffies ;) Hee, thanks for reading!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 5: One Step Behind You**

Joshua remained lying under a brittle tree that gave its last to break his fall. Noises rushed towards him in astounding numbers but then backed away as three teenagers wearing Tiger Punk threads gathered around him.

"Hey, check this out. Looks like someone ditched him in the streets," one said.

"Looks banged up pretty badly to me," the other mentioned, a bit too gleefully.

"Makes a good pickpocket easy and quick."

The two teenagers turned to their ringleader, who had spoken.

Joshua knew the looming presence of Noises had driven the teenagers to their limits. Most likely, his presence further aggravated them and now they vented all their anger towards him.

"You've horrible taste with who you mess with. Go away," Joshua said.

With his better hand, Joshua dialed and imprinted. Two out of the three teens received the imprint, and they started walking off accordingly. But...

The ringleader was unaffected. He knocked the suspicious phone out of Joshua's hand. He took a handful of Joshua's hair and yanked him to his feet. His rough actions made the other two linger long enough for the Noises to take hold of them again.

"Trying some fancy tricks? Looks like you need a beating," the ringleader said.

Joshua was in utter disbelief that he, the Composer, would turn into a victim to gang violence.

He struggled to escape from the other's forceful grip, but in return the person socked him with a surprising amount of force and kicked him in the shins. As Joshua fell to a knee, the ringleader yanked him back to his feet and cornered him against a tree. A hand clamped over Joshua's mouth harshly. The ringleader's red eyes brimmed with hatred as he faced Joshua, practically breathing on him.

"You're so fragile that I can shatter you like glass."

Joshua squirmed as foreign hands touched him and emptied the pockets of his jeans. He had nothing of value, but the teens apparently considered a stash of 10,000 yen pieces a treat. Then, an overly curious teen pulled Joshua's tattered sweater and shirt up, exposing his skin. Joshua flushed with anger and humiliation.

Before Joshua broke another rule as the Composer and gave the teens a living nightmare that would forever scar their Souls, a series of loud cracks sounded. Then, a snap. One by one, the three teenagers possessed by the Noises passed out cold. Before Joshua, Neku stood with part of a skateboard tuck under his arm.

The two stood in silence for awhile. At first, the two avoided eye contact.

"A bunch of weak-minded bastards," Neku finally said as he cast the last broken piece aside. "Did they take anything?"

Joshua shook his head furiously. Let them have the darn yen pieces. He had something of much higher value to locate.

As if reading his mind, Neku stooped over and picked up Joshua's phone. Neku only examined it briefly before handing it to him.

As Neku started off in a hurry, Joshua trailed behind him. His legs stumbled as he ran. Waves of pain slowed his every limb. His feet stung as though he sank them in a row of spikes. His hand trembled as it fought to hold his cell properly. From all this pain, this humiliation, and this rush of emotions, his mind threatened to shut down on him.

A hand slipped into his and pulled him forward. It comforted him, but at the same time the firm grasp hurt his hand badly.

"Stop. Stop that!" Joshua hissed.

He pulled his hand away from Neku's but refused to explain even as the Noises gained on them.

Neku stared at him. Then, he sighed.

"I'm not letting you turn into Noise or food. So don't kill me."

A deep frown formed on his face. Joshua's eyes grew big. Then, he gaped as Neku collected him into his arms and started carrying him.

xxx

When they reached the statue of Hachiko, only the Sunshine restaurant was open. Few individuals roamed the streets. Neku slowed down and carefully let Joshua down to his feet.

"No Noise here. We can rest a bit."

Joshua did not speak; instead, he started coughing. His eyes remained closed. He sweated profusely. His entire body shook violently.

Neku quickly shed his Ashura jacket and dressed it over Joshua's sweater and button-down shirt now in tattered shreds. He zipped the jacket to conceal the severity of Joshua's condition and prevent attracting curious passersby and hungry Noises.

"You'll be fine," Neku spoke, not knowing what else to say.

From a distance, he spotted three shady figures. Neku tensed, prepared to drag Joshua and him into Sunshine for safety. But as they came closer, Neku relaxed, because he recognized the three.

"Good job erasing the Noise, band," 777 praised.

"Let us grab some burgers. I'm starving," Tenho said.

BJ then stopped his fellow band mates. His gaze was directed to Joshua and Neku. "Yo, guys. Hold up. What are you two doing here so early in the day? Don't you kids have a curfew or something? Go on! Scram!"

"Hold it, BeeJ. I think we know these punks."

777, Tenho, and BJ approached the two. The friendly grin on 777's face turned grave. Instead of greeting them, he stared at the condition Neku's partner was in.

"You two look like you've been in a train wreck," BJ said.

"...We were attacked by Noises." Neku winced, sensing Joshua's disapproval of the reply.

"Did you forget your pins or something? I've extras if you like," Tenho offered.

Tenho started digging into his pockets, but 777 stopped him.

"It's no use," 777 observed, "Those two are alive."

"Oh...right. Sorry."

777 observed. "It might be because you were former Players. Noises have been a pain. Bother us Reapers in the RG and UG everyday. Working for the Game is easy compared to reconstructing everything. It's difficult with so little manpower and no Conductor."

"Shibuya still has no Conductor...?" Neku exclaimed, a little too loudly that some early morning seniors taking a stroll looked at him funny.

"I heard the Composer has been too busy with the reconstruction to appoint one, though he has appointed new Game Masters and promoted some Reapers. 777 here is now a Game Master," BJ said.

Their conversation about Shibuya's reconstruction came to a halt when Tenho called to them, "Yo dude, the Noise got your bro there real badly. He looks like he's about to pass out but don't let him. It's too bad he can't shift to the UG like we can..."

"Har, har. Serves him right," BJ muttered.

"Ahem."

777 and Tenho gave BJ the stare. BJ then scratched his head and sighed exasperatedly. Poor BJ still held his old grudge, involving his secret call and blatant rejection at the phone booth of love.

But BJ complied to offer advice, "If you want to bypass the Noises, we usually keep the A-East and Shibukyu Main Store area relatively clear for folks. I think Sir Reaper Review and his gang have Molco and those places covered. Don't go to Udagawa or Towa Records. Those places even Game Masters have trouble passing."

777 nodded reassuringly. "You two rest awhile, and the three of us will keep your backs covered. When you two decide, tell us your plans. We'll do what we can, right band?"

777 and Tenho walked into Sunshine, while BJ stayed behind for only a moment. Finally, he said, "When that brat gets better, punch him for me."

Then, he left.

"...Looks like you've a secret admirer," Neku said.

"...You finally done flirting with them?"

Neku's brow twitched.

"Oh, shut up! Just shut up if you have nothing intelligent to say. You're not only a Composer now. You are human with actual limitations."

"Yes, sir," Joshua mocked. "Now lead the way."

"Where to?"

Joshua sighed with a note of annoyance. "Must I spoon feed you everything?"

Neku then glared but with some thought on his part he had an idea where Joshua meant. "Don't you need to be in the UG to go there? I don't want 777 thinking ill of me for chucking my partner in a sewer if you get my drift."

"...It also exists in the RG," Joshua said.

"Fine, I trust you. We'll go there then."

xxx

If Joshua was anything less than the Composer of Shibuya, he might have already breathed his last breath. Joshua mentioned that painkillers humans made would have little to no effect on him. So when Joshua emerged from the bathroom of his place, it surprised Neku how Joshua managed to retain consciousness and to treat his wounds with little assistance.

As Neku waited for the coffeemaker to boil, Joshua sat down in bed. A flicker of pain contorted on his face, as if he was merely enduring it.

"Where does it hurt?"

"...I'm fine," Joshua said stubbornly.

"Right about now, Composer, your attention span rivals a goldfish. You call that fine?" Neku pried.

"And yours is about a second longer. I'm impressed."

Neku took the boiled water from the coffee pot and poured it into one of Joshua's mugs. He dropped the tea bag into the hot water and walked to Joshua's side.

"What was it this time? Angels? Noises?" Neku asked.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Except giving me a straight answer."

"There's nothing intelligent to say," Joshua said.

Neku quieted, regretting he told Joshua that. He only wanted Joshua to conserve what little strength he had, but obviously Joshua spun the words a hundred eighty degrees the wrong way.

Then, Joshua childishly proceeded to reach for the mug and wrench it out of Neku's hands.

Joshua's fingers barely grasped the mug the moment Neku chose to pull it away from him. The hot mug of tea slipped from Neku's hand and crashed, its shards scattered by the bedside. Its boiled contents spilled all over Joshua's hands.

Closing his eyes, he grimaced.

"You clumsy idiot..." Joshua quipped.

"Quit acting like a child! It was your fault anyway!" Neku scowled at him but then sensed Joshua's consciousness wane.

His body slumped. Then, his entire form laid limp.

"...Damn you, Composer! Listen, you can't sleep! You just can't!"

Neku then narrowed his eyes as he studied Joshua's hands suspiciously. He carefully undid the bandages swathed on them and then stared, horrified about his discovery.

Whatever attacked Joshua had nearly bruised if not crushed every joint and bone in his swollen hands.

Neku gritted his teeth. He swallowed.

"I've watched Shiki patch up Beat all the time after some sort of freak accident. You should be grateful I learned from her, prick."

Some long moments passed. Neku finally finished coating Joshua's hands with ointment and fresh bandages.

"You're not sleeping, right? You're just concentrating on healing yourself with your Composer abilities."

He received no reply.

As Neku walked away from him, he stopped, feeling a gentle brush against his side. Whether or not Joshua knew this, his hand had reached out and tugged the end of Neku's shirt.

Neku sat at the edge of the bed as Joshua gave no sign of releasing him.

"...You know Rhyme? I met her at Miyashita last night. Too bad I destroyed the skate she lent me when I tried saving your hide. Rhyme really wants to see you, so you owe her a visit one of these days. She'll have Beat to treat us to burgers."

He started telling jokes and stories Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme once shared with him. He told them with hopes that somehow, these words may revive Joshua from his comatose state.

"There was a soldier that shared a room with three other people. One night, this soldier sleep walks, and he goes over to each person. He feels their faces and knocks them on the head. 'Which watermelon's the ripest?' he asks..." *

He winced. In some ways, he hoped Joshua tuned him out for most of the poorly told jokes and stories.

"Did you know that when spicy tuna roll F'ed something that he offended a sea of tourists?" **

But he knew Joshua listened-- like how he did right after the Game up until his sudden appearance in the RG after two years. Sometimes, Neku laughed at his own attempts scornfully. Because somehow deep down, he knew no matter what he said that Joshua had no ability to respond to him.

Minutes turned to hours, and hours accumulated close to a day. He kept talking and hoping. He kept dialing Mr. H's number, knowing full well Mr. H would never pick up then...

Then, Neku spotted a warm glow coming from his chest. Brushing his eyes, he undid the chain from his neck. On this gold chain, a white, beautiful feather was attached to it. His eyes brightened.

"Some time ago, I met your other self. I'm not supposed to tell anyone about our meeting, but I think telling you would be all right. You understand. You are him. No wait, he is you. You and him are the same. Similar... Okay, maybe not quite."

Neku scratched his head.

"What did your other self say? He's a 'planetarium'...? Anyway, he just seems so much more open and happier than you ever are. Though don't get me wrong. He's still a complete snob and acts like an airhead with his head stuck in Cloud Tin Pin. I bet he never had to deal with the kind of crap you had to."

He then stared at the feather. He thumbed it with his finger and marveled its softness and the amount of comfort it brought him.

"Your other self from the Tin Pin world said I couldn't give this up to anybody. But you're Joshua. This world's Joshua. It would not do harm--if I gave it to you? You're my partner," Neku reasoned but then shook his head. "...No. Forget that. You're my friend. Even if you are a prick."

Neku then attached the chain and its feather onto Joshua's neck. Joshua's white aura, once faint and fragile, now pulsated, humming. Neku laid a hand on Joshua's forearm reassuringly.

"Let us reconstruct Shibuya together. We will find a way to rid that Timer from the Higher Planes. I just know it."

The instant he gave Joshua the feather, Neku sensed his energy drop accordingly. As he expected, a familiar, unwelcoming sound started up again. Now, he no longer had the vast energy that once allowed him to carry Joshua so far and so quickly. He no longer had the energy that amplified the power Joshua once lent him to resist the Angel at WildKat...

"...Neku."

Neku cleared his throat. He released his secured grip on Joshua and pocketed his hands. He held back the rush of relief that overwhelmed him.

"Hey," he replied distantly.

It took another whole minute before Joshua managed to crack open his eyes drowsily. After gazing at Neku, Joshua's eyes inspected the feather, its powers radiating with his in unison.

Neku explained again, this time briefly, "Your other self met me some several months ago. Told me you had given a feather to the other me. He just wanted to return the favor. Said it'd save you some grief."

Joshua frowned.

"Take it."

"Nope, it's all yours. You probably slobbered on it."

"Take it," Joshua croaked.

With his better hand, he brushed the feather against Neku's nose playfully.

Neku clamped a hand over his nose, but a quiet sneeze escaped.

"Oh look... how cute."

"Jerk." Neku growled. "You'll pay."

Neku's hands quickly brushed against Joshua's sides. Joshua stared in confusion and then with a smirk.

"Hee, hee. Just so you know... I'm not ticklish. Your attempt amuses me."

Neku huffed, flustered completely. He refused to make eye contact with Joshua, who chuckled quietly.

"...Aw, my poor, poor partner looks like...like someone just bullied him. I wonder who..." Joshua mused. "Would you like a pat on the head?"

Joshua at first barely moved a finger. Then, he moved his whole hand. Neku did not resist; instead, he lowered his head ever so slightly to guide Joshua's hand. The touch felt like sandpaper, and it stunk more like a rotten fish than a real hand. He blamed the ointment. But even if he had to spend needless hours ridding both stench and bandages from his hair, he welcomed the trouble anyway.

xxx

Keep up with the reviews! I hope you all liked this!

*- Um. Have you ever picked watermelons? Did you know some people pick them by hitting them to see how it sounds inside? Well, you know what happens after people pick watermelons? Yeah. -slice-

**- First way to look at this: Um. C? Second way: What do you think F usually stands for?


	6. A Rift

Absolutely thanks for the reviews. Reading them all are like chicken soup to my soul. And to those who put alerts and fav-d me. That means a lot to me!

Arcane Era: Your review puts a smile on my face. :) I'll make sure to keep updating.

PirateCaptainBo: Bo- Hee hee. Joshua = neverending splitting headache of doom. Ski- *salutes* I'd do my best!

Katraa: I'm honored! I wonder if I'm being a bit mean to poor Joshua and Neku...naaah. XD

evil-neji: Yeah, I've to agree that the end of ch 1 is on a vague side! The enigmatic Mr. H pulling a crazy...

AiCue: Wow, I am the first?! I'm happy you like it! I hope I am not disappointing the TWEWY community. ;)

ArchaicLight: Thanks for reviewing!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 6: A Rift**

"I remember one time Shiki was upset. I asked her if there was anything I could do to make her feel even a bit better," Neku explained as he ran a comb through Joshua's messy hair.

"I suppose she asked you to brush her hair, and it made her feel better." Joshua smirked. "I never knew you to pick up such a girlie habit."

Neku glared at the thick, ugly bandages that bounded and restrained Joshua's injured hands. He bit back giving the most obvious answer before them.

"I think you're girlie enough to qualify," he replied.

"You're only jealous of my good looks."

He then went to his feet and faced Joshua. He pointed the comb at him.

"Look. I'm not gonna have people ogling at us and think--hm---I did something to you. You got that?!"

"Did what?" Joshua asked, his eyes glinted with mischief. He giggled. "Like..."

Neku's nerve twitched.

"Don't even try, Composer. I'm not listening."

"Fine, fine," Joshua then teased, "I don't even need to. You already had a naughty picture of me in your pretty, little head."

Neku furiously vented his anger on the poor, black comb and tossed it.

"I should have known we were _not_ playing Tin Pin just to kill your boredom."

"Hm?" Joshua feigned innocence. "I only asked you to escort me to Shibuya River as a small, small price."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Not until you finish that." Neku pointed.

Joshua sighed loudly at the small, simmering soup bowl by his bedside. After facing some difficulties, Joshua picked up the spoon and proceeded to conquer the soup bowl.

xxx

He drank a few sips before Neku left to change. Joshua then dropped the spoon back into the bowl. For the longest moment, he stared at his cold hands, aching and trembling from the slightest contact with anything. He examined the bandages that supported them.

"It looks like I'd be stuck like this, until the Timer's out."

He hated his current form, especially now. An un-ascended Composer now granted a fragile form and emotions of a puny human. Joshua felt a sharp pain rise in his chest as his mind recalled ugly bits of the events from the previous days. The Angel crushing his hands. The gang cornering him to a tree. His sudden slip to unconsciousness.

_"...Let us reconstruct Shibuya together. We will find a way to rid that Timer from the Higher Planes. I just know it."_

Though strangely, he recalled gentle arms holding him. A brave voice telling some awful jokes. Eyes that watched over him. Like a guardian. Like this person actually cared.

"It's probably because of something silly Sanae told him," Joshua concluded quietly, "Or some influence I have on him."

"...What?"

xxx

Joshua raised his head to see Neku before him.

"...I'm not hungry anymore," Joshua muttered, his eyes refusing to make contact with Neku's.

Neku sat at the edge of Joshua's bed. Taking the soup, he proceeded to stir it. He took a spoonful and blew at it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Joshua asked warily.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Joshua stared at the spoonful now offered to him. He laughed emptily.

"Stop that. I can do it myself."

Neku refused to relinquish the spoon or bowl this time. Not after what happened the last time.

"I mean it. Stop it, Neku."

"Quit making everything so difficult."

"Neku Sakuraba," Joshua said sternly. "...You're making things infuriating. Now quit treating me like an invalid."

Neku growled as Joshua left. He started heading out after him.

Joshua just had to make every trivial task a challenge.

"What an absolute idiot."

Neku tried performing the more tedious tasks for Joshua in hopes to minimize future troubles. Neku predicted Joshua would notice and quite promptly take advantage of this. He even considered the possibility of Joshua throwing him other useless tasks that Joshua would feel too lazy to handle.

Joshua did notice.

"Yet he acts like I'm the ghost of Pi-Face! What's eating him?"

Neku stopped at the bridge of Shibuya River. From a distance, Neku saw him. Joshua wore a light blue scarf and dark mittens that covered the injuries his jacket and jeans failed to conceal.

In Joshua's arms, he carried a baby bundled in a yellow blanket. Neku closed his eyes. He faintly sensed his energy humming in unison with Joshua's as Joshua touched the baby's forehead before returning the baby to the mother. Joshua wore an unusually peaceful smile as the young mother departed with the baby.

xxx

"...You look good with a kid."

For a few seconds, Joshua's heartbeat fluttered from hearing the voice like a wind's whisper. Then, mischief returned to him.

"Hm? What did you say? You want to have kids with m...?"

"I dare you to finish that sentence." Neku glowered, returning to his moody self.

Joshua waved his hand good-naturedly. "Oh, you couldn't have been jealous with that cute child, right? I thought I already gave you a nice pat on the head."

"You ready to return yet?"

"Now Neku, I've hardly been out here long enough for two rounds of Tin Pin. I still need to check the River." Then, Joshua grinned. "Why don't you be a good citizen, Neku, and help that kindly mother? Go fetch her son and tell him to hightail to Stride."

"Talk about another case of an irresponsible parent."

"Cannot blame her. She has to deal with the little one's fever."

"And I have to deal with a stubborn snot that flakes on me," Neku added.

Joshua crossed his arms with disapproval. "Neku, I hope you do realize that I've lived for a very long time on my own entirely. Without your so-call supervision."

Neku stood with no intention of moving.

"Besides, that mother's son should only be down the River that way. You'd hardly have time to miss me. You don't want me to stay out here any longer than I should, right dear?" Joshua smiled, fully aware he had convinced Neku this time.

xxx

Joshua barely heard Shibuya's own Music as he stood in the middle of the River. Its water barely brushed against the soles of his feet. Its rich Music was a mere whisper compared to the city's negativity. Shibuya let out a quiet sigh in his presence. He thought maybe, just maybe for a brief moment he would let his weary Soul, Imagination, and Music mingle with Shibuya to calm the city.

"Step out of the River, Composer. You're not strong enough."

"Another Angel?"

Joshua's eyes flashed open.

This Angel possessed an astounding Soul and Imagination compared to the other Angels Joshua had met, excluding Sanae. Like the others, the Angel concealed his face. He was finishing his bowl of ramen. His voice sounded annoyingly relaxed about the whole situation.

As he leaned against a wall, the Angel pointed his chopsticks.

"Cool it, Composer. I'm the type who dislikes getting all physical. I'm just here to--I dunno--have a chat."

The flow of Shibuya River accelerated. Its once scarce water slowly transformed into a running stream. The water now soaked Joshua's socks and threatened to climb to his knees.

"Leave. Your presence irritates Shibuya."

"Quit hurting Shibuya with your Music. Step out of the River."

Neither Angel nor Composer moved. Shibuya River turned violent. Joshua closed his eyes and emitted a white glow. Shibuya strained to listen to him, His Music and Imagination. Its rushing waters no longer touched him.

The Angel said in disgust, "You're weak right now. You can't even soothe a poor babe's fever without nearly collapsing. Now, you use Shibuya as a shield to cover your weakness. Tell me. Is that a convincing argument that you still have the abilities to restore Shibuya?"

"...You do not know me."

Negativity had a stronghold on Shibuya. It nauseated Joshua to feel it all at once, directed towards him. The Angel only aggravated the situation.

"We know everything. See everything, including you. Just like how you see all the thoughts and desires of Shibuya."

"...Unlike you, I'm not that blind to claim that I know everything about Shibuya." Joshua was amused.

"Yet you fear someone would know you completely."

The words, like the River's waters, hit him hard. The words wanted to destroy him. He lost his grip on Shibuya, and the River pulled him under. When Joshua managed to swim back up, he gasped for air.

"Composer. Get out of the River."

The Angel reached out to pull him out, but Joshua's words stopped him.

"If I can't heal Shibuya the way I used to, I'd find another way. Even at my own expense."

xxx

Neku ran not too far before he spotted the mother's son, Shooter, with his friend Yammer just ending another round of Tin Pin Slammer.

"Hm? Hey, bro! Look at this!" Shooter shouted.

Yammer just slotted a Tin Pin Wind into a can set between them. In the can, it had smooth stones, water, and lots of Tin Pins.

Shooter sealed the can and tossed it up and down with one hand.

He exclaimed, "See? It's our can filled with our undying spirit for Tin Pin! I even put my Bahamut and Tin Pin Wheel Pins in there!"

"Don't you two have a tournament at Stride?" Neku asked.

He narrowed his eyes as he observed the River's water slowly rising. Something about the River made him sick.

"Yeah, Shooter," Yammer chipped in, "We should hurry to catch the championships."

Shooter tripped. The can rolled into the River.

"Now look at what you did!" Yammer exclaimed.

Shooter felt brave. "I'll go get it!"

"Stop!"

Neku failed to stop Shooter from diving in. The water's flow changed from a steady stream flow to an ocean's tide. Shooter easily lost against the River's rage.

"Shooter!" Yammer called out.

The water attempted to seize them, but Neku knew better and pulled Yammer away. He ran, dragging Yammer along with him.

"Joshua...?"

Neku sensed a sudden pang of worry and anger knotted in his chest.

"Hey, look there!" Yammer exclaimed.

In the water, Joshua swam to the side of the rushing River. On his back, he carried Shooter, knocked out by the River.

"Get him out," Joshua ordered.

Neku and Yammer helped pull Shooter out of the River. At Joshua's request, they left him. Neku and Yammer had dragged Shooter a bit far from the River and into Rubicon, before Shooter regained his consciousness.

"You're such an idiot to fall into the River like that!" Yammer exclaimed.

"I was? Don't remember that." Shooter scratched his head.

"You are hopeless."

"So what happened?"

It annoyed Neku and Yammer at how cheerful Shooter acted despite how his life nearly ended up down the drain.

Yammer glared. "Some silver-haired guy swam in there and saved your behind."

"What kind of guy was it? Was he tall? Big? Some cop?" Shooter asked excitedly, as if he had encountered another worthy Tin Pin slammer.

"No. Some short, skinny kid insane enough to swim in the River. I don't even know if he really is a guy from the looks of him."

Neku winced.

"Oh." Shooter frowned in disappointment.

"Joshua. It was Joshua," Neku supplied in hopes to preserve someone's dignity, "You know the one that you saw..."

"You mean your cool friend at the slam off? Awesome," Shooter exclaimed, his eyes shimmering. "Heck, then I should go thank him personally."

"Nah, it's all right. He's busy right now."

"But I have to go thank him..." Shooter insisted.

"You two have a championship right? You should get going if you intend to make it on time."

"No kidding!" Shooter and Yammer suddenly remembered. Both boys started running, until Shooter stopped.

He cried, "If you ever find that can, tell other bro he can have it!"

"I thought that can was special," Neku reminded.

"It is! Has our undying spirit for Tin Pin in there!" Yammer cried.

"But we can always make another one, right Yammer?" Shooter smiled cheerfully.

"I had one of my latest mods in there..." Yammer muttered under his breath.

"Well, you should meet us later at Stride! Until then, tell other bro thanks for me!" Shooter called out as he and Yammer rushed off to Stride.

"I don't think you'd act so nice if you knew Joshua jacked your Pins at that one tournament," Neku said quietly as he headed towards the River again. Then, he frowned deeply.

Joshua sat in the center of the freezing River even as the waters continued flowing. The water now returned to normal and only soaked parts of his legs and all of his feet. Water continued cascading from his now ropey hair, his pale face, his clothes, all over. A can was near his feet.

xxx

Joshua winced as he sensed Neku hovering over him.

"Why do you always do this to me, Composer? Try leaving again? Whatever tantrum you threw nearly drowned three people today. Are you happy?" Neku retorted bitterly.

Before Joshua said anything, a chuckle sounded. "Hey, if you give your Composer air, you might know what happened."

Joshua cracked open his eyes.

"How do you know he is the..." Neku stood up and stared. "You...? You! You were here?"

"Bingo." The Angel shrugged as he displayed his decently large, white wings. He took one last bite of his ramen before tossing it.

"What did you do to him? Were you the one that hurt him?"

The Angel raised an eyebrow as Neku stood before Joshua, who remained sitting in the River.

"I'm afraid maybe one of my rowdy companions from the Higher Planes played with your Composer a bit too roughly. I do apologize for him. But other than that, I did not touch a single hair on his head."

Neku was crouched, ready to fight. He laid a firm hand on Joshua's shoulder.

"You seem to have difficulty with trusting me. You trusted me more when I was a Reaper!" the Angel lamented but then smirked. "Besides, what can you do? Your pins are useless in the RG. Your partner of a Composer, wallowing up in his issues, refuses your help. Your sync rate stinks, because he doesn't open up to you. Are you so sure, Neku, that you want to be stuck with him the rest of your life?"

"What do you mean he would be stuck with me..." Joshua asked, but someone else's outburst overrode his.

"Don't you dare talk down at your Composer!"

"He's no longer _my_ Composer," the Angel replied with amusement, "You want to help him, right? We want to help him too, Neku. We are the Higher Planes. Join us then, and we'd stop bothering him. It might resolve any additional suffering for the both of us. You might actually agree with what we have in mind."

Joshua moved, but Neku grasped Joshua's shoulder even more firmly.

The Angel continued, "He's a Composer, void of all emotions and supposedly the only perfect being of Shibuya for how many years now...? Why would he ever open up to the once dimmest Soul in the city?"

"I'll smash your mouth if that's what it takes to silence you!" Neku exclaimed.

"Bye."

Just like the first time, the Angel disappeared before Neku managed to lay a finger on him. For a long time, Neku held that one fist clenched tightly.

xxx

"...Joshua. I'm..."

At first, Joshua waited in curiosity for Neku to finish.

"I'm... I'm..." Neku tried again but faltered, his voice shaking and his composure lacking. He sat down beside Joshua. His eyes stared down at the water gloomily.

Joshua's eyes softened.

"Don't be." Joshua shrugged indifferently.

Joshua had lived his Composer life filled with misunderstandings. Sanae. Megumi. Despite the years, those two still understood him as much as any normal Reaper would ever claim to know him. After so many years, he practically built an immunity to misunderstanding that he now simply played along with it, letting the truth reveal in good time.

"...You know, Neku. This can reminds me of something Sanae once told me."

"Oh. Yeah? What did he tell you?" Neku sounded a bit relieved.

"...Think life as a can."

Neku remained silent as if ready to commit CAT's words to memory.

"Inside this can, it has some smooth rocks, Tin Pins, and water. The rocks represent the most vital parts of your life. Without those, you'd never be you. You'd cease to exist. The Tin Pins are everything else important in your life. It would hurt if you lost them, but you could still live. Then, the water is the minor stuff."

Neku's fist slowly relaxed. He then took the can from Joshua.

"...What do you consider a rock then?" Neku asked.

"Shibuya naturally. And you?"

A faint smile formed. "...I think Shibuya too."

Joshua smirked. "My, my. We are twins."

"And friends."

Joshua crossed his arms uncomfortably just as Neku rose to his feet.

"So without your friends you're nothing? You mean the Bito siblings and Shiki, right?" Joshua offered.

An unusual frown formed on Neku's face. He then lost balance. His knees hit water with a splash.

"The water's too cold," Neku complained, before he finally stood upright in the middle of the Shibuya River. Then, he added, "Com' on. Up to your feet. Let's go inside."

The cold water had numbed his legs. Joshua stumbled. A cold arm encircled his waist and briefly supported him. The moment he stood properly, the sudden closeness left.

As Joshua led them back, he sensed Neku's hand reach out to touch his back. Joshua slowed to allow the contact. To allow Neku to stop him.

.

But in the end, Neku didn't.

xxx

Please review!


	7. I Can't Hear You

All your generous reviews have persuaded me to finish this chapter before the year ends. Thank you! And thank you to those who put alerts or fav this fanfiction! You guys are so awesome!

Arcane Era: Come to think of it, there are lots of those kinds of references. :D Hee hee, I couldn't help it.

Julumien: That's very kind of you! Thank you! I'm truly relieved that the way I portrayed the characters is believable.

Katraa: Aw. Why thank you! :D

Kaya: Yay! I'm so happy you picked up on the Angel bit. You're on the right track! All mysterious individuals would be revealed eventually. :) I'll see what I can do with the noise bit.

LittleLoneLiar: Thanks for the review! I know! I wanted Joshua and Neku to...but no (not yet anyway).

solidsoul: You do? Yay! There would be more positiveness--good Joshua and Neku moments in the near future. :3 I'm pretty sure about that.

IchigoKura: I promise to keep writing!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 7: I Can't Hear You**

That next day in the morning when only vendors woke to open stores and business folks hurried to catch the early train, Joshua found Neku, dressed and sitting in the darkness of his hallway.

"...Shiki was at the hospital."

Even though Joshua's footsteps made no sound, Neku knew he was there anyway.

"There are less people, and the Noises aren't so bad in the early morning. So I was thinking..." Neku reasoned.

"I'll go with you then."

Neku never completed his sentence.

xxx

So that morning, Joshua led Neku near the 104 Building. Neku constantly had his eyes glued to concrete. He ran into Joshua the moment Joshua stopped to face him.

"So, what happened?" Joshua asked.

"...Nothing big really. Beat told me she fell down some stairs. Tripped over her piggy."

Joshua chose not to pry about any other matters clouding Neku's mind.

"That's too bad. So you want to visit her and give her a little something then?"

Neku shrugged his shoulders.

"Neku, you really should visit her. It'll do you some good to be around your cheery group of friends. You haven't seen them for days."

Neku continued walking. He walked, until Joshua tapped his shoulders and led him to a flower shop. Neku stared at the plants blankly.

Moments later, Joshua sighed and said, "You really are hopeless. I'll do it."

He studied the flowers around him and sniffed, pinpointing the ones he wanted. Joshua started picking. Shortly, his hand of flowers transformed into a bright-colored bouquet of carnations, lilies, and irises. He handed it over to the clerk, who rang it up and tied it together with white laces and a card. Joshua paid for it.

"Here. All it needs is a few sweet words from you."

"You either really enjoy being an absolute ass or making me an absolute idiot," Neku muttered, accepting the bouquet.

"You're welcome."

Neku's cell rang. He answered, looked around, and then waved.

"Oh. Some timing. There's Eri."

Joshua stayed behind as Neku plodded over to Eri. Eri excitedly shared the fashion sketches and fabrics she wanted to give Shiki. She then noticed the bouquet in Neku's arms and started giggling madly. Neku gave a secret death glare towards Joshua, who decidedly ignored him. Eri lent him a pen, and Neku scribbled something fast in the card. At the end, Eri relieved Neku of the bouquet and left.

"I thought you were more of a lady's man. Didn't you want to deliver it personally?" Joshua said with a hint of disappointment.

"Nah, Eri said she would do that for me. Anyway, it's better that way..."

Neku ran a hand through his hair before heading towards Ramen Don.

"Let's go eat."

Joshua hummed contently. "I hope you didn't want me to say no to that."

xxx

Ken Doi just finished wiping the tables clean.

"Irasshai! Hey, kids! You having the usual?" Mr. Doi greeted.

"One bowl of Shio Ramen for me please. None for him."

"Joshua...!"

A ring from his cell interrupted him. Neku glanced at the name that flashed across his cell's screen and then at Joshua, who chose a table near the window.

Joshua just waved a hand and smirked.

"Have fun, Neku."

Neku rolled his eyes and went outside to take his call.

"Uh hm, Ken?"

"Yeah?" called out Mr. Doi, his voice carrying above the whirling fan.

"Another two orders of Shio Ramen please. Do take your time."

"Right away!"

Joshua tapped his chopsticks eagerly. He would just indulge in an extra bowl of Shio Ramen, while Neku was away.

xxx

"Oh, hey Shiki. You all right?"

"Yeah, I should be anyway. I've Eri with me. And you, Beat, and Rhyme watching out for me," she said, "By the way, thanks for the flowers, Neku. Really nice of you."

Outside, Neku propped the flimsy cardboard version of the Ramen Guy back to its cardboard feet. He then leaned against the building and observed Joshua, whose spirits brightened a fraction at first sight of his Shio Ramen.

If only Shio Ramen, or any ramen for that matter, would do the same for him.

"You've been pretty busy," she added.

"...I have?" Neku murmured.

"Of course! Rhyme told me about your friend. Seems like you two have a lot to catch up on!"

Shiki was probably twirling her hair right about now.

"...How did you make me open up to you, Shiki?"

"Hm? What's this all the sudden?"

"Never mind." Neku shook his head. "This is not the best time for me to ask you something like that."

"...Neku, you okay?"

He did not respond.

Shiki giggled. "Oh, I see. Having problems with your special friend?"

"...So you know him?" Neku sounded hopeful.

He winced the moment he sensed Shiki deeply frown and then pout at him. "No, I don't know him! I only heard about him from Rhyme!"

Then, she calmed down, and he managed to breathe.

"But that's fine. Rhyme told me you'd bring your friend over one day and have Beat treat us to Sunshine. I suppose I'd meet him then if not sooner," she said cheerily, "So tell me. Who's this special friend? Someone you met at school? A concert maybe?"

"I met him..."

Neku stared at Joshua, who glanced at him briefly with a mouthful of ramen. Somehow, that momentary glance told him that Joshua did not want Neku telling much about him.

"...he's shy."

"...Shy?" she repeated, almost doubtfully.

Neku scratched his head. That was so not right. "...He's special. Different. Like Mr. H. I don't know. I don't know how to explain. He let me understand things. Gave me life. Took care of me."

"...That's really deep."

Neku then rested his back against the wall of Ramen Don. He watched as more people gathered in the streets. Most of Shibuya had finally awakened.

"And somehow, I don't think he knows that I know all that. He probably thinks I still hate him after all these years."

"Neku..."

"And I do hate that stubborn snot! He's a stupid moron. That's why!" Neku fumed. "Even after the Game, he watches my back constantly. Preventing me from doing stupid mistakes again."

Neku had realized something.

Several weeks after the Game, he had walked a red light. At that time, a cold hand had grasped his wrist and a voice had ordered him to stay still as several cars honked and swerved around him. When he looked, it was just him and the angry cars, waiting for him to cross the street...

There was another time. Only days before Neku met the other Joshua, Neku had attempted some skateboard stunts with the little grooves Beat had taught him. The ramp was not secured, and he had cracked his head with nobody near to help him. Yet he had no scar and remembered no pain. Just a cool presence. A comforting scent. Just a distinct voice that told him to hang in there.

_"Hang in there, Neku. I'm here."_

If Neku's price was meeting Joshua. If the Higher Planes stuck a damn Timer on him because Joshua broke the law by meeting Neku after the Game. If that was true, then Joshua broke it several times a long time ago. By helping him.

Stupid Neku. Stupid.

"He's a good guy, but a lot of people don't know it. I want to help, but he won't let me. He thinks he could go through all this without me knowing. He thinks he could do all these things, but he can't, Shiki!"

"Neku..."

xxx

Joshua politely tapped the glass window with the ends of his chopsticks. Neku's attention immediately fell onto him in surprise as Joshua gestured towards Neku's bowl of warm Shio Ramen. Joshua had already finished his first bowl and waited to begin his second.

Within a few minutes, the doorbell of Ramen Don jingled. Neku returned, dragging his feet. He shoved his cell into a pocket before sitting with Joshua.

"Gloom and doom really doesn't suit you, sunshine."

"So shoot me," Neku replied with ill humor.

"As tempting as that might sound, no thanks," Joshua replied.

Neku clamped his hands over his ears as if he still had his headphones to tune out Shibuya completely.

"...I really wish Udagawa was nearby," he said.

Joshua sighed, somewhat surprised the conversation with his friend did not improve Neku's spirits any. He then placed a hand under his chin and looked up to the ceiling.

"...Hmm, I do know of a quiet place around here. It just has no CAT graffiti." Joshua decided. "Hurry up. We'll spend some quality time together."

Joshua dug into his bowl of Shio Ramen.

Seeing no response from Neku, Joshua added with no mercy, "Eat up, Neku. It's a date."

Neku glared.

"In that case, I'd eat. Very, very slowly."

xxx

Joshua easily sat on a thick branch of an ancient Japanese maple tree. He was directly above Neku, who stood leaning against the tall maple that concealed them with its red and orange leaves. Neku idly sipped a soda and stared at the field of clovers and tiny nettles before him, while Joshua sucked on a popsicle as he sifted through Shibuya's newspapers with great disinterest.

Neku finally said, "I wish all these bad things would just go away."

"...It's how life works. But people learn from it and move on with time. The smart ones do anyway."

Joshua plucked some leaves. He took careful aim and then dropped each one onto Neku. One landed on Neku's shoes. Another leaf brushed against his shoulder, while a few others showered around him.

"What? Are you telling me it's easy for you to go on with life after so many bad things happened?"

Neku's frustrated voice had a noticeable edge. When the last and large maple leaf descended onto Neku's head, Neku tore it off angrily and glared at it.

Joshua examined the newspaper one more time before concluding that day's paper was nothing but a waste. He proceeded to do something about that.

He ripped it.

"Are you even listening?" Neku asked, hearing the paper ripping and sounding agitated.

Though Neku did not look his way.

"I watch 'bad things' happen everyday. I'm indifferent to it," Joshua finally answered, "For example, if I wallowed up about every Soul entering and leaving Shibuya, it'd be impossible for me to supervise a city."

"...You have emotions. And feelings. If you didn't, Shibuya would cease to exist entirely."

"Maybe," Joshua replied absently.

The rapid ripping and folding of paper stopped. Joshua glanced at Neku, who crossed his arms uncomfortably.

Joshua sighed loudly. "But... I also never been close to anyone to feel that way."

"...Never, huh."

The ripping and folding of paper resumed but much more quietly.

"Never. My RG life was insignificant. And as Composer..." Joshua paused "A Composer is not allowed to have emotions like humans. I cannot let events of any significance affect me."

Because whatever affects the Composer affects Shibuya.

"...What about Mr. H?"

Joshua chuckled.

"Sanae and I may go way back, but it doesn't mean I'm close to him. We walk similar paths. We devote ourselves to the city. I respect him. Trust him. But that's it."

For awhile, no words passed between the two.

Neku concluded, "That's kind of depressing. Someone who watches the city shouldn't be secluded from it."

Joshua giggled. "What made you think of that? I'm always in the city."

"But people can't remember you, right? Must be some stupid Composer law the Higher Planes put in."

He frowned. Neku must have figured this out after talking about him with his friends. For awhile, Joshua continued folding and folding some more.

"Joshua...?"

"...Some Souls can see me if I appeared to them willingly. Very few refined Souls would remember my existence. Even fewer would recognize me. It's just part of the job," Joshua said quietly.

And no one would understand the Composer of Shibuya. He was transparent to the city. It was a law he, the Composer of Shibuya, had created to assure the Higher Planes of Shibuya's stability under his guidance.

For a moment, Joshua wondered if Neku even heard him.

The wind blew, and Joshua's neat pile of paper tilted and descended.

"The heck is all this?" Neku exclaimed.

Joshua peered over from his perch on the branch. He caught the final seconds of Neku's awkward rain-dancing moves to avoid the sudden shower of paper frogs, cranes, and snakes. He snickered loudly.

"D-down froggie!"

Neku swatted the frog that landed on his shoulder. After a long staring session with the suspiciously inanimate object, Neku finally identified it as just paper. Neku's face reddened.

"Just _what_ are you doing littering on me, Joshua? You are such an...!"

A massive paper plane nailed Neku between the eyes.

Neku mumbled as he peeled it from his face. "Are you high? Oh wait..."

He quickly turned away after seeing Joshua wave at him as he hung upsidedown on the branch.

"Exactly how old are you? Three?"

Joshua swung hard on the branch.

"And you're an old ginseng. Now Gramps, if you'd kindly move out of the way..."

Joshua dropped from the tree and right on top of him. Both Joshua and Neku stumbled and landed in the field of clovers and nettles below them.

Neku hissed in pain. He yanked the nettles that stung his fingers. "That hurt!"

"I don't see how this is my fault." Joshua crossed his arms. "You refused to move out of the way."

xxx

Neku plucked off the most annoying stinging nettles and fallen leaves that stuck to his hands and sleeves. He noticed a leaf clinging to Joshua's back and moved to peel it. His fingers grazed against Joshua's neck.

Joshua twitched.

"I thought you were not ticklish," Neku said suspiciously.

"I am not."

Joshua attempted to scramble out of Neku's reach, but Neku pulled him closer. His fingers brushed against Joshua's neck again, and Joshua covered his mouth with the back of his hand, poorly concealing a smile. A giggle escaped.

"I thought you were not ticklish," Neku repeated, entirely too amused about this.

"I...am not..."

"What, Joshua? I. Can't. Hear. You."

"Neku... You idiot...!"

Neku tickled him gently. He listened as Joshua's soft giggles turned into heartfelt laughter. Joshua was writhing. He had failed to suppress it. And even so, Joshua did not stop him. Neku could not help but to quietly laugh with him.

Out of all laughters, Neku liked this one the best. From his laughter, Joshua shared a secret to him--a small and insignificant fact to many.

Joshua, the Composer of Shibuya, was ticklish.

xxx

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Do tell me what you think!


	8. The Hurt That You Hide

Really big--I mean big thank you for the reviews and for fav-ing and putting alerts! It really makes my day to hear that people are enjoying the story.

Katraa: It is aimed to be. But for now, I'm leaving it somewhat up for everyone's interpretations. Good question. :)

Julumien: As much as I want to, I won't say much. But with support, I can promise to give the most rewarding ending I could possibly muster when the time comes. :D

Arcane Era: And I am so happy to hear from the awesome Arcane Era. :)

ArchaicLight: You think so? I hope this new chapter gives off similar feelings as that one. Thank you!

ArchaicLight: Hello again! Yup, I agree. It's an honor to be sought out for help--even during the most 'inconvenient circumstances.'

IchigoKura: I sincerely appreciate and thank you so much for spotting that error. I so did not see it. :)

thewriterwannabe: I'm glad to hear that! Yup, Neku does. Lots. Hee hee. :)

KirahRuth: Hi Kirah! Hi Ruth! I agree that TWEWY is sometimes confusing--even after finishing it and reading the reports. As with ch 2, I'll try smoothing it out with an iron. :D

Tatshmaru: Aww, I'm touched! There are much more challenges Joshua and Neku have to face. But I would make sure all the hardship they go through would be worth it. :3

Joshua X Neku: I'm glad you like it! :) Take care! Here comes another chapter!

Grim-Angel-Camui: Yep, that last scene certainly gives off a lot of nice feelings. I'll keep writing. ;)

hokkyokusei: I also love peaches and hate garlic (except for flavor). I will do my best updating consistently! :)

Arcane Era: Yup! Especially the part where J. throws a paper plane at him. -konk- :D

Hayashi Nariiko: And he denied it at first too~ Tickle-me-Joshua. Thank you. :3

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 8: The Hurt That You Hide**

"So have you dated Shiki yet?"

That one question triggered Neku into ordering them both minestrone-- some vegetable concoction Joshua disliked greatly. Neku insisted he did that to keep them both healthy.

Joshua persisted. "So have you? I know she likes you a lot."

"She's my first friend, Joshua. And a very good friend. I prefer that we stay that way."

"I won't be so sure about that. You certainly have a greater affinity towards her than to most," Joshua said thoughtfully. "Her Soul has changed to something quite commendable since after the Game. How about I fix you two a date?"

"How about I fix a date to beat you senseless?"

Joshua drank the minestrone with great distaste. It always reminded him of some leftover something that Sanae served at his cafe. But Joshua had no right to complain. They were eating at Sunshine Shibukyu in the late afternoon anyway.

"Now that's disappointing. How about Raimu then? Her Soul is the purest among your group of friends and pretty special in Shibuya. She adores you now, and you two would be a cute pair."

"First, I'm not looking for dates. Second, Rhyme is Beat's kid sister. He'd kill me."

"We've gone on a couple of dates," Joshua said innocently.

"We are so not dating."

"Ever plan to have kids?"

Neku choked.

"Kids? Joshua, I'm a teenager who just learned to have a few friends. And now you're asking me about kids?" Neku rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. You want to be a godfather some day?"

Joshua chuckled. "Maybe. Want me to name them?"

"Oh, sure." Neku's voice brightened with sarcasm. "Exactly what would you name them then? Neku the Second and Neku the Third?"

"How uncreative. I'd in fact name them Small Neku, Medium Neku, and Super Neku."

One of Neku's nerves twitched, while Joshua kept his calm composure. He was finishing his minestrone without complaint.

Neku glowered. "Sounds like something written on the Sunshine menu everyday."

"Oh, fine. How about Shoyu, Miso, and Shio?"

"Is that what you named your kids after, Joshua? After bowls of ramen?"

"My kids...?" Joshua repeated, somewhat puzzled.

"Oh, com' on. Within your many, many years as Composer, you should have..."

Joshua drank the rest of his coke in silence.

"...Oh yeah. That's right." Neku muttered. He scratched his head. "You're the Composer. You run a city."

He ran a city filled with people that hardly knew about his very being.

Joshua paused but then smiled brilliantly.

"Be sure to name your oldest son Shio for me."

"...Whatever. When the time comes, _you_ name him that. But don't get your hopes too high."

For no apparent reason, the last words came out distant, almost unhappy.

xxx

The moment Neku took a step outside of Sunshine, groups of looming Decadraven Noises ambushed him. Their beaks pecked Neku in the head. Within a phone dial, several bicycles squashed the Noises. The surviving Noises cawed and fled.

"That thief! Give that back now!" Neku said.

They stole from Neku a little under a dozen of his pins. And of all pins that last Decadraven Noise took, it took the special black and blank pin Joshua had given him.

"That's it! I'm not letting you get away with it!"

"It's fine. Don't go after it," Joshua said.

"No, it is not fine. They took that pin!" Neku fumed.

He was not about to let a measly Noise prove that he couldn't keep a pin safe.

xxx

The Decadraven Noises fled as far as A-East.

"Take this!"

Neku swatted those Noises with a frilly parasol he had borrowed from Lapin Angelique. The Noises tossed that pin around and around him, until a large Drake Noise appeared and snagged it. Neku chased that beast of a Noise down into the Concert Stage.

"Looking for something?"

The lights snapped on. A giggle sounded. A lady adjusted her glasses as the Drake Noise let out a shrill cry and placed the black and blank pin in her hand. Neku only needed to see the white frills and black dress to identify the culprit.

"Iron Maiden..."

"Missed me?"

"That's impossible. Beat. Me. We erased you..."

Konishi gestured towards the Drake and Decadraven Noises under her command. Flapping their wings ferociously, the Noises shrieked and burst into static.

Neku winced as his ears rang. His face whitened.

"Oh, it's very possible," Konishi said, "I just needed to wheedle with a few gentlemen to have my way."

She appeared mostly human. But from her waist down, she remained a Noise.

"Did the Higher Planes send you as well? Impossible!" Neku shouted. "You betrayed Megumi!"

His heart lurched after mentioning the former Conductor's name.

"I did, didn't I?" Konishi laughed. "Only you and I know that. But soon, it'd just be me."

She then waved the black and blank pin before his eyes. Her glasses glinted.

"Neku. Run already!"

xxx

Neku toppled to the ground.

Her long-nailed fingers lashed out. They transformed into claws. Konishi missed Neku and snatched Joshua, who had shoved him away. She held him at the neck.

Joshua struggled and grimaced as her grip tightened.

"You're interesting," she said to Joshua, "You think I can't harm you, boy?"

His aura shielded harm from his body, but his ears--his mind-- heard everything. The sickening static brought his dialing to a halt. Konishi unleashed waves after waves of increasing discord. His ears burned. All the sounds of Shibuya, from the people's thoughts to all the Noises, screamed at him. They deafened him, and he cried.

xxx

"Let go of him, Ironface!" Neku threatened. He gripped the frilly parasol, the only measly accessory he carried. "Let go of him or I'll...!"

"Or you'll what?"

She sneered at him.

Before Neku, Joshua was limp in her grasp. Sweat beaded from his forehead. His aura flickered. His hands trembled, clutching the piercing claws that strangled him. He was gasping.

"How is this for fair trade? You become my Noise, and I'd release this precious boy of yours," Konishi said to Neku.

Neku's eyes met with Joshua's that conveyed one meaning.

"Run. She's lying."

"Tick, tock. Someone's Timer is almost up," she said gleefully, "I can't make your choices any simpler than this. So what would it be?"

"Don't listen to her, Neku. Don't listen."

But Neku listened anyway. He remembered what happened to the Drake Noise and the rest of the Noise minions. The cries. The burst of static. The agony.

"Release him now!" Neku exclaimed.

Maybe with him as a Noise, it might give them the advantage they needed to defeat the Higher Planes.

The black pin's aura shone. Its powers activated.

"Too bad I changed my mind," she said. "I'd just make your friend into a Noise then."

Neku screamed.

Before she channeled her powers, Neku tackled her with the parasol and his fists. Boom boxes and speed limit signs landed on her. She lost focus and staggered. At the end, Konishi still grasped Joshua, but she no longer bore that smug grin.

"Hey, Ironface. Looking for something?"

From afar, Neku tossed a black pin up and down with his hand.

"Fools, you dare ruin my plan?"

"Come and get it. If you can," he said.

Neku relished the sound of the pin snapping. Its pieces descended. Konishi's cool composure shattered before him. She angrily focused her narrow eyes on Neku but failed to see the motor scooters materializing above her very head.

She cried out, and Joshua escaped from her grip. He maintained a ready fighting stance as he panted loudly. His fingertips and entire cellphone radiated.

"I don't care if the Higher Ups sent you. You're a pollution to Shibuya," Joshua said. "You threaten to erase us..."

"Then we'll erase you!" Neku finished.

Joshua and Neku rushed at Konishi.

"Follow my lead!"

"Screw that!"

Joshua jumped up to meet the amplifying wave of energy, while Neku let the wave pull him in. Sparks from their combined aura flared as a generous shower of old tires, vending machines, and pick-up trucks descended.

"My prediction. It's not possible...!"

With one last drop of a mini van, the Iron Maiden Konishi faded.

For awhile, Joshua remained crouch with a sweaty hand tightly around Neku's wrist. Then, he crossed his arms and huffed loudly.

xxx

"Don't ever be so careless again," Joshua said. "When I tell you run, you run."

Before Neku voiced even a word, Joshua spoke up again.

"And don't ever wish to become a Noise. Ever. You hear me?"

"But I didn't..." Neku's words faltered under Joshua's stern gaze.

Joshua replied coldly, "If you didn't, the pin wouldn't have activated. That useless thought of yours nearly put us both in peril. Why would something like that ever cross your mind? Apparently, I was wrong to assume that you actually learned from the Game."

Heat rose from his cheeks. Neku grabbed Joshua's shoulders and shook them.

"You're all talk, Composer! It is you who have not learned anything from your stupid Games, not me! Don't give me that garbage about how you were going to do something good for Shibuya. Or that it was a necessary risk. That day you gave me the pin, you wanted to do something equally stupid that would turn you, Shibuya's only Composer, into a Noise. And now this! Why can't I do the same?"

"Neku?"

All that time, Joshua gave a troubled look. His gaze on Neku wandered to the streets as he rubbed one of his ears. Joshua clamped it for a time before letting his hand dangle by his side.

"Forget talking to you. You aren't even listening!"

Neku dug his pockets furiously.

"Here! Have your blasted pin back! Not like I can use it anyway."

Neku plucked the only black and blank pin in his stash and tossed it. Joshua caught it. The black and blank pin, in one piece, flickered in Joshua's hand.

"I snapped one of my black Reaper pins instead to distract Ironface. You probably knew that, so don't give me that pouty face!" Neku said harshly. "So do what you want with that blank pin. Destroy it. Or give it to one of your other proxies. Do what you want, because I don't want it!"

Joshua was silent.

With nowhere else to vent his frustration, Neku snapped open the parasol. He nearly tore the metal from the black, flimsy fabric. As he held the parasol above his head, half of the fabric and lace fluttered pathetically against the metal frame.

xxx

After tapping his feet for the longest time, Neku sighed loudly. He still held that parasol with a death grip.

"...Why haven't you scolded me yet?"

Joshua furrowed his brows.

"...I was the idiot. The jerk. The nutcase. You said a few things, but I said a million of things I really shouldn't have." Neku breathed in. "I'm..."

"...Neku?"

"Yes, I'm Neku," he said, somewhat annoyed.

Joshua answered him very quietly, "...I don't understand."

"Are you just giving me a hard time?"

Joshua cupped his ear. He closed his eyes.

He then said, "It's no wonder you're useless during crucial moments. Those thoughts running through your head give me a worse headache than hearing all of Shibuya and its Noises."

"Privacy, Joshua! Why are you scanning me? Did you even hear what I said?"

Neku's heart stopped beating.

"No wait. Can you even hear me...?"

Neku laughed forcefully. He scoffed at the thought for ever crossing his mind.

"Would you kindly rack your brains? It should only take a few seconds," Joshua said impatiently.

"...Rack my brains?"

"Yes, rack them," he replied, though somewhat delayed. "As much as I love hearing all those sweet secrets your Soul has to tell me, you need to focus your thoughts if you want me to 'hear' you. A very temporary inconvenience. See? Now we're talking."

Neku's blood ran cold.

"...There's that long horsey face of yours again. I thought I would miss it," Joshua said. "So what would you like this time? I don't have hay but how about a pat on the head?"

He frowned. "I nearly had us both killed. I let Ironface mess up your hearing. I'm of no use, yet you want to praise me for everything?"

Despite everything, Joshua patted his head anyway.

Thoughts raced through Neku's mind.

"...Why Higher Planes? Why this?"

"Hm?"

Neku turned his back on Joshua. At first, he refused to face him. But then, cool fingers crept up and brushed against his. Neku's eyes widened. The parasol fell to his foot with a clatter.

As Joshua stood behind him, he took one of Neku's hands and pressed his fingertip against Neku's palm. Neku let out a quiet breath as Joshua spelled out words in his hand. Joshua paused to pull away.

"...Wait. Don't leave."

His hands moved. Without looking, Neku reached behind him. He found Joshua's left hand with his left and then his right hand with his right.

"Neku, you're such a child..."

"Don't leave," Neku repeated.

Those cool hands struggled within his grasp, but eventually the struggling ceased.

Because for a long, long time, Neku held those hands very gently.

xxx

Please inform me about how you felt about this! Thank you kindly.


	9. Detention

I just realized that I could reply to all your reviews through message/email thing. Whoops. So from now on, I'd answer you guys that way (and I always will reply). That way you don't have to wait for my answer so long. But if I don't like that reply system, I might revert back to what I've been doing. And don't worry. I still reply to anonymous reviews. :D

So lots of love and thanks to **ArchaicLight, Valkyrja Kaori, Julumien, JoshuaXNeku, hokkyokusei, Hayashi Nariiko, Katraa, Arcane Era, Sammy-tone, The Light's Refrain, **and** Kuroneko Hikage**! And thank you for those who fav-d or put alerts! I'll always put my reviewers' names up here to show my sincere appreciation.

Sammy-tone: Thank you. Ever since I played TWEWY, math reminds me of Pi-Face. :3

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 9: Detention**

In a shoddy Mus Rattus Mowzy tee and sweats, Neku scrubbed hard on the meaningless graffiti scrawled across the once CAT exclusive wall of Towa Records. As he proceeded to bang his fist several times against the wall, he recalled how he ended up in this mess.

Joshua had approached him early that morning. It took Joshua just a single word written on Neku's hand to persuade Neku to go with him.

CAT.

"You were such the eager beaver, Neku. What's wrong?"

Neku belatedly realized that he had let Joshua drag him to one of the most volatile parts of the city, crowded with the Noises and people's negativity. With the Noises practically breathing on them, he really hoped none of the Noises would change their minds and attack them.

"Don't worry. The Noises don't bother me," Joshua reassured from the top of a ladder as he, with the brush of his hand, removed the immature graffiti near CAT's artwork of that starry-eyed Brainy cat. He looked like an electrician, wearing a red tank and cargo pants with that tote of supplies strapped to his belt.

xxx

In truth, the hearing loss made it difficult for Joshua to create Music. Shibuya ultimately ailed due to the absence of his constant Music making; however, the loss helped him tune out the Noises and Shibuya's pleas. It prevented them from troubling his own Soul, Music, and Imagination.

It gave him the chance he needed to help Shibuya recover without harming Shibuya or himself in the process.

Joshua left that part unexplained to Neku. He figured that Neku would feel Shibuya's change and understand, once they were done removing all the shoddy graffiti and making his and CAT's message clear again.

"Joshua, I can't remove this."

"What does it say?"

Joshua climbed down the ladder to inspect the graffiti. He carefully stepped over the box of spray paint cans, brushes, rags, and other supplies on the floor.

"Cyco Recs dude is stupid."

Joshua so didn't want to waste his powers on removing words hardly considered harmful. On the other hand, those words were distracting. As his hands reached out to remove graffiti, he then changed his mind.

"Neku, paint something over it."

Neku looked at him somewhat warily as Joshua tossed him two cans of spray paint.

Joshua expected Neku to do a complete paint over. But when Neku took the spray paints, sprayed, and announced he had finished, he knew that didn't happen.

He read it again. "Cyco Recs dude is a stupidly cool DJ."

Joshua folded his arms. Apparently while the Noises and negativity had lesser influence on him, they still irritated and clouded Neku's mind all the same.

"Tell me. Why should we leave that there?" Joshua asked.

Neku's mind froze.

"...I was saving time. It looked nice. Just bad words, so I changed it."

"Define nice." Joshua then smirked. "So if I were to draw a squiggle and you said it looks nice, then I should let the city be inspired by this artwork's... suggestive curves?"

Neku's Soul already glowed with irritation.

"But that's what you were implying," Joshua said, "Now don't disappoint me. You're CAT's number one fan. You tell me what makes Art great."

Joshua sensed Neku's mind stirring up a storm, sifting through several possible answers like style, technique, colors... He knew Neku had that answer somehow. Neku used to preach it to him. It surprised Joshua just how long it took Neku to remember it.

"...Meaning."

"With Art, I'm going to restore meaning back into Shibuya."

Negativity overwhelmed Shibuya. But if Joshua fixed the Art and its meaning, it would strengthen the barrier between the RG and UG. Other than the Reapers' fighting and Joshua's Music making, it was another way to keep the Noises at bay.

Neku's Soul brightened a fraction. Some of the Noises and the negativity Neku attracted had faded.

"...Do you think Mr. H knew this?"

"He is CAT," Joshua replied.

Taking out a small, round-pointed brush, he dipped it into the black paint generously. At first, he intended to draft another of his artwork on a butcher paper he had brought along. But then, his eyes scanned Neku from head to toe. Neku's eyes remained focusing on CAT's artwork and the new work Joshua added. His eyes and his Soul searched for the exact meaning and inspiration that once fueled him.

"As if I needed more trouble today..." Joshua said.

Letting out a long sigh, Joshua decided to rid the last bit of Neku's negativity. He calmly pointed his brush and painted.

"Joshua...!"

Though Joshua didn't hear him, Neku's mind, his very Soul, screamed his name. Joshua's own Soul slightly trembled from the outburst.

Neku frantically rubbed the paint from his face. His wild effort left smears on his hands and blackened a good part of his jaw.

"What can I say. You were drooling on everything," Joshua said.

Neku rolled his eyes, but then his attention focused on the butcher paper.

"Hm?"

Joshua looked down as well. A few blotches had splattered onto the paper but nothing too traumatizing. He then closed his eyes and focused on figuring out what Neku had in mind. After sorting through Neku's muddled thoughts, what Joshua discovered happened far too late.

A wet brush of thick, black ink smeared his pretty face.

Joshua remained unfazed as Neku looked away to the sky. Neku held a small, flat brush also coated with black paint.

"Tag. You're it," he said.

Neku declared war on him.

xxx

In the small bathroom of the Towa Records, Joshua used the wall mirror to inspect the large, black oval grid that covered most of his face. On top of that oval was a distorted blob with two dots in it.

"What's this, Neku? A bagpipe?"

"It's a turtle, you good for nothing twit!"

Neku glared at the large, black heart centered on his nose. He then started counting the several generous lines that streaked across his face. His nerves twitched.

"Joshua! What the hell! A spider across my face?"

Joshua acted wounded. "Forgive me for not shading you in completely. Last time I checked, I made you into someone's beloved kitty."

"You turned me into Mr. Mew? That piggy?" Neku bellowed incredulously.

"Think on the bright side." Joshua grinned. "At least, the new Mew looks like a kitty."

Neku turned the sink faucet on. With an old, ragged towel, he started scrubbing his face.

"Such a spoilsport. Ruining my masterpiece."

"I don't plan to have all this paint stuck on me! Now get out. I'm going to change."

Joshua refused to budge.

"What's there to be shy about?" he said, "Unless you've something that I haven't seen..."

With another wet towel, Neku smacked him in the face.

Joshua peeled away the towel to see Neku's fist less than a centimeter away from him. Neku's face still had several but less obvious streaks of paint.

"You too. Wash. Now," Neku said.

"...Hm? Here you go wanting me to strip again."

Neku grew impatient. He stole the towel from Joshua and did the scrubbing--- hard for him.

Joshua complained. "Neku...!"

"You had your chance."

By the time Neku returned the towel to him, Joshua found his face mostly clean off. He only had remnants of the large, black oval, which might sadly pass off as bruises or at worst a bull's eye at the center of his face.

xxx

After changing into a more representable JoM outfit, Neku was off to meet Joshua outside. He stopped and stayed inside Towa Records between the open door and window. He sensed not only Joshua but also the ominous presence of two Angels outside. If Neku hadn't mistaken, the Angels were the ones several days ago.

One Angel stopped to apply her lipstick, while the other was finishing his bean paste bun. The Angel with the bean paste immediately noticed Joshua, who paid little attention to them.

"...Looks like one of us really did screw with his hearing. No wonder Shibuya has been off lately."

He observed Joshua, who was up on that ladder and finishing his graffiti. He dropped his tote into the box below him, just a foot away from the Angel. The Angel eyed his partner with suspicion.

"Hey, did you do this?"

"Me?" she exclaimed. "I only put the Timer on him!"

"Funny. Higashizawa didn't do it."

Neku had no idea why a picture of a giant ram crossed his mind just then. In fact, these two Angels made him suspicious about their identities...

"Why don't you return his hearing?" the Angel asked his partner. "I'm too lazy."

She replied, "Why would I do that? He's our enemy."

"Go away."

They eyed Joshua, who had spoken sternly. Up on that ladder, he remained calm with his back towards them.

"Composer, that hearing mishap really is not helping Shibuya one bit..."

"I don't need your assistance. Now go away."

The Angels' powers radiated in unison, and the Angel with the bean paste reached out and almost brushed against Joshua's leg. At that instance, Joshua swerved and leaped from the ladder. He fell and rolled out of their reach. Then, he stood up with his cellphone open and ready.

"A feisty one, aren't you?" the Angel said. "Look, Composer. Though screwing with you is my job, I also happen to care about this city. Now let me return your hear..."

"You boys have no respect."

An old, gruff voice paralyzed Neku's legs from taking a single step outside.

xxx

Joshua and the two Angels came face to face with an old man with tiny, piercing eyes. He carried an old, floral parasol and several packets of herb tied with strings. To everyone's surprise, Mr. Ayanokoji, a.k.a. Shuto's grandfather, saw each and every one of them.

"I see you boys been up to no good again."

"You've mistaken, Gramps. We..."

Those words earned the Angels a nasty glare. That Angel smiled sheepishly and finished his bean paste.

"We're part of the disciplinary committee at school, sir," the Angel with the lipstick spoke up sweetly.

"What...?" Her partner stared at her blankly.

She gestured towards Joshua. "You see. This boy here has done poorly in his studies. He's supposed to serve detention, but he snuck out early. And we caught him vandalizing property, so we were going to discipline him."

"Is that so?" The old man's ominous eyes closed. He said, "Then let me discipline him."

"Yes sir. Gladly," she replied with too much glee.

Joshua, more or less, reacted with shock when the old man dragged him forward by the ear.

"Well then, young man. Unless you want me to inform your parents, I suggest you come with me," the old man said.

"Wait a moment..." Joshua protested.

Neku stumbled out of the Towa Records building. The Angels' eyes went to him as he called out, "Mr. Ayanokoji, sir! Wait!"

Mr. Ayanokoji turned to him. He continued holding Joshua by the arm. "Good day, son."

"Sir, you've seriously mistaken. We..."

"Why don't we talk at my shop? Until then, do me a favor and deal with those loiterers."

"Loiterers?" The Angels gaped, clearly offended.

Joshua frowned as Neku shrugged, unable to stop the old man. After a couple of harsh yanks, Joshua let the old man guide him away. When they left, the Angel with the lipstick giggled with delight.

"What's so funny?" her partner asked.

"You don't think it's funny? The old Composer got himself a detention. You really should buy me a ramen for that."

"You just ruined our first opportunity to return to the UG," he lamented.

"I saved us from that low-down geezer. Now buy me that ramen!"

At the end, the Angels paid no heed to Neku. She dragged her partner with her, presumably to Ramen Don, and the two vanished.

On the sidewalk before Towa Records, Neku stood without Joshua or the Angels. He bent over to put all the graffiti supplies back into their proper trays, boxes, and cases. He decided to let Joshua deal with the old man on his own.

"Hey, look at that. Isn't that neat?"

"Now take a look at that..."

As he packed up, several people had stopped to observe him. He raised his head to return a look, but their eyes didn't focus on him. They focused on the wall. Neku then took a few steps back from the wall and stared at the graffiti.

"Enjoy each moment. Live life to the fullest."

For the first time in a long time, CAT and Joshua's words, their message, burned in his mind so clearly. It felt as though Joshua had left a tiny piece of his Soul and Imagination just for Shibuya. Though Neku denied it, the message made him rather proud of Joshua for helping Shibuya--for helping him remember something so simple yet important.

xxx

About two hours passed. After two long treks, Neku had finally finished returning all the graffiti supplies to Joshua's flat. When he saw no Joshua, he went to that stuffy Mind and Body Foods shop with dread.

"Welcome," a cold voice greeted.

Neku's heart skipped a beat. There behind the wooden counter, Joshua stood with his arms folded. He wore a brown, wide-sleeved robe and that deep frown and posture that mimicked the old man.

"Joshua, no way..." Neku said. "No way. Did the old man really make you stay?"

He waited for Joshua's reply, which came out even slower than usual. Joshua looked drained.

"I'm tending shop. Now leave," he said.

Neku noticed a hint of accusation. "Now wait. You don't think that I did this to you on...!"

"Hey there, champ. What brings you here today?"

Neku swung around and saw Sota and Nao with their hands linked together.

"Nekky!" Nao exclaimed.

He winced as Nao practically strangled him.

"Where's the old man gray?" Sota asked in a low voice.

"The old...Mr. Ayanokoji isn't here, but Joshua can help you today."

"Joshua? So that's your name. Looks like I should know you." Sota studied Joshua, who stayed put behind the counter. "Well then, since you're running the store I've better buy a lot then. With that said, I need..."

As Sota recalled his long list of herbal ingredients, Joshua didn't budge. He closed his eyes, somewhat distressed.

"Is something wrong with Josh-Josh?" Nao asked.

"Wait a moment," Joshua insisted, though his voice came out strained.

Neku muttered. "I wonder if the old guy found out that Joshua has trouble hearing..."

He smiled, imagining the old man turning Joshua into a guinea pig by downing him with more of his less than edible remedies.

Then, he remembered BJ. The phone booth of love. No, Neku had all his reasons to avoid anyone, including the grandfather, ticking off Joshua. He had witnessed the damage.

"What the heck. If the geezer finds out I'm helping out and doesn't like it, I'll practice tap dancing. And screw what Joshua thinks." Neku then cleared his throat. "Hey, Sota. Would you read that off again? I want to write all those down, so the boss doesn't blow his head."

"Oh, is that what happened to poor Josh-Josh?" Nao asked with sympathy.

"Since it's a lot of stuff, why don't I write it for you?" Sota offered.

"You read it off, Sota. I'll write it."

As Neku went behind the counter, he pulled out and slipped into a brown robe, identical to what Joshua wore.

He caught Joshua, glancing at him before turning away. He remained hostile. Neku approached and grabbed Joshua's wrist, but Joshua shook his hand off him. Neku took Joshua's hand again. As Sota and Nao hurriedly created their list, Neku hurriedly etched out words in Joshua's hand.

He spelled out the same words Joshua had written in his hand that other day.

"I'm sorry."

As Neku released his hand, Joshua offered a shrug. At least, he no longer told Neku to leave.

xxx

Couple hours passed, and the shop stirred with several customers now with Mr. Ayanokoji gone. Neku now understood the reasons behind Joshua's cold disposition. Without Neku, Joshua had to depend on the customers' thoughts to make an order right. Quite often enough, the thoughts hardly coincided with what the customers wanted to buy.

Some customers returned to complain about their messed up orders. Some caused a scene. To a few, Neku offered apologies, while to the rest he replied the way Mr. Ayanokoji always did, "You have no respect. Now leave."

But whatever happened at the end, he never blamed Joshua. And when others didn't look, Neku would sneak off and squeeze Joshua's hand or pat his back, if only briefly, to reassure him.

xxx

When Mr. Ayanokoji appeared in the evening, most of the customers had left. Only an elder lady waited as Joshua weighed the last ingredients to her order.

"You boys did well with the store," the old man said as he flipped the store's sign and schedule from Open to Close. "You should stay longer for supper."

Neku frowned. "But sir, we really should be going."

"Do you boys have any respect?" His beady eyes opened.

Now if Neku hadn't started his tap dancing, he surely was now. "I didn't mean it that way. We still have CAT's..."

"CAT? So you boys work for CAT?"

"Yes. CAT told us to replace some of the old artwork, while he is away."

"I see. So that was what the other boy was doing..."

Mr. Ayanokoji's eyes fell on Joshua, who offered a polite smile to the lady that left.

xxx

Neku followed Mr. Ayanokoji into the storage room of his store. In the back room, it had several wooden shelves, jars, drawers, and bags. It also had an old cooking stove. Every herb from clovers to deer antlers was sorted and preserved properly within.

"Is there something you want to discuss with me?"

Neku hesitated. "About Joshua, he really didn't..."

He breathed, unable to finish. The tiny, piercing eyes were fixed on him.

"I know that," Mr. Ayanokoji said solemnly. "I was keeping your friend out of trouble. He understood my intentions. Did you speak with him?"

"No, sir." Neku studied his feet.

"I see."

Mr. Ayanokoji mashed some herbs in a mortar. His eyes no longer focused on Neku.

Neku waited. Bravely.

"...Those loiterers. Did they cause trouble after I left?"

"They didn't," Neku replied.

He started heating the mixture. The mixture slowly turned black.

"Does that boy have friends? Family?"

"Him? He handles things on his own. His family passed away. His guardian left town, but I'm around to help him."

The old man raised an eyebrow and gave a gruff laugh. He beamed. "I brought that boy here to keep him out of trouble. But it looks like that wasn't necessary. I see now. I see."

Neku's ears burned. He stuttered badly. "I think you've mistaken. Joshua isn't..."

He then quieted and decided to let the old man think how he wanted.

"So sir, can I ask you something?"

Mr. Ayanokoji nodded.

"What are you making?" Neku eyed the concoction, giving off that nauseating odor.

"It's for that boy," Mr. Ayanokoji explained as he poured some of that slop into a cup. "It's to treat his sore throat and those bruises on his face. He also looks malnourished, so I added sea cucumber, black fungus..."

Neku regretted asking.

xxx

Nighttime came quick. That day, the Mind and Body Foods store didn't operate into the late night. The store's lights were off, but places like Pegaso Atelier and Bel Airplane remained open and kept the herbal store relatively lit.

With Mr. Ayanokoji's permission, Joshua and Neku sat on top of the stacked bags of grains and herbs behind the counter. Each boy had a warm cup of herbal soup in his hands.

With reluctance, Joshua stared down at his generous cup filled with ginseng roots and mixed with garlic cloves, chicken, and yellow corn. He already sniffed out the other less appetizing ingredients and slop the old man hid in the blend.

And that ginseng made his stomach flip.

Joshua reluctantly put the cup to his lips, yet he never managed to taste the fully anticipated bitterness.

"Neku, how could you?"

Neku had reached out and stolen the cup from him. And he downed it.

From the way Neku smacked his lips and somewhat grimaced at the end, Joshua easily deciphered what Neku told him.

"...it's edible."

Like Joshua, Neku probably knew the old man meant well, so he gave the soup a better rating than it deserved. The two quietly agreed to leave the truth untold. Besides, no one would like to hear that a soup brewed with grandfatherly love tasted worse than tonic offered at the pharmacy.

So there went Joshua's meager dinner. Down Neku's gullet.

He was much too tired to complain. Producing and repairing all that Art at Towa Records and straining to understand all those customers' requests had taken an unusually heavy toll on him. Joshua wrapped his arms around his legs as his stomach churned in protest. He closed his eyes and hoped that sick feeling would just go away.

...Neku prodded him.

With wary eyes, Joshua observed Neku placing a cup into Joshua's once empty hand. Neku glanced at him once before focusing on swallowing some ginseng.

"Now you want me to finish it?" Joshua said.

He pushed it away, and Neku pushed it back. He handed it to Neku, and Neku handed it back. After a few more exchanges, Joshua noticed the cup's heavy weight. He detected a faint smell of real food-- not half-cooked sea cucumbers or unmentionable parts of a pig. Not even a hint of ginseng.

Joshua finally gave in. He cracked open the lid, revealing the chicken noodle mixed with mushrooms and carrots. As Joshua sipped the soup, he and Neku avoided making eye contact.

Between the two of them, they knew that the old man didn't make it.

Neku did.

xxx

Hope you like this! Please review.


	10. My Mistake

You all are so super amazing. ^___^ **Katraa, ArchaicLight, Grim-Angel-Camui, The Light's Refrain, Arcane Era, Hayashi Nariiko, Kuroneko Hikage, JoshuaXNeku, Lemonade Icecream, Kioku-Ayumadi, AmishGazebo, weaverofstars**! Thank you most deeply! I hope all my replies reached your emails.

And to those who have placed alerts, fav-d, or included this fic into a community (yes, you too!), I thank you as well. I appreciate it.

Grim-Angel-Camui: Thank you! ^.~ Neku was just in time, before Joshua really did wreck havoc. I think I should make him ticked off the next time around just for kicks. Now that would be highly amusing. The next chapter is up! Hope you like it!~

Lemonade Icecream: Thank you very much for reviewing. You're making me blush! It's always so good to hear that what I'm writing is believable! I hope everyone is in character. :D Happy reading!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 10: My Mistake**

A couple days had passed since the incident at Towa Records and the misery at the old man's shop.

"Why? Why this?" Neku exclaimed. "The people! The Noises! They really trashed everything!"

It had been a little over half a month, since he met Joshua in the RG. Udagawa transformed into a literal junkyard, a living stench. Heaps of trash, varying from empty cardboards and bent sheets of metal to cracked bowls and crushed soda cans, littered and piled in mounds after mounds all over the streets. The closed stores of Cyco Records and Wild Boar bore shattered windows, stained carpets, overturned counters, and stolen goods from every bin. Obscene street art plagued the walls and nearby buildings.

When Joshua and Neku saw this, Joshua reacted with a cringe, while Neku felt the last bit of his sanity leave him. Everything about Udagawa breathed anger, hatred, and violence. It breathed death and seeing CAT's artwork hardly offered anyone the slightest comfort.

The only comfort Neku received came in the form of Joshua holding his hand. Joshua's powers made Neku's hand tingle painfully.

Joshua pressed a hand and his forehead against the wall that bore CAT's artwork. His eyes were closed in concentration.

"How is it now?"

"What do you think?" Neku snarled.

He meant to say better. The Noises and negativity had lessened significantly with Joshua's power channeling into Udagawa, specifically into CAT's artwork.

"Quit focusing on the Noises. Focus on CAT's artwork. Or on me."

"Easy for you to say! You're not the walking Noise bait!"

"You know, Neku. You do have that with you," Joshua said cryptically.

"Stop talking about that! I can't shoot the Noises!"

"You can still shoot anything possessed by them."

"Would you shut up and finish healing Shibuya already?" Neku shouted.

Neku really wanted to think that the past no longer bothered him. But his mind pained every time Joshua or anything reminded him of those memories. Like a never ending filmstrip, his mind recalled every ugly detail of how he died twice in Joshua's hands. How Neku stared in sweat and horror. How Joshua smiled and pulled the trigger with ease. Neku wanted to forget all that, but the Noises and negativity refused to put those memories at rest. Most of all, the gun, Joshua's gun, that Neku carried aggravated him to no end.

"Joshua. The Noises..." Neku grimaced. "It makes me sick..."

"Same here..." Joshua admitted. "Just keep a tight hold on my hand."

Now with his hearing mostly recovered, Joshua reacted to the Noises and negativity much more strongly. Joshua's power actually fluctuated whenever a nasty Noise or Neku's own negativity interfered with Joshua's focus. Though compared to Neku, Joshua remained calm about everything. His Soul and Music offered Neku refuge from all the chaos looming about them.

But even so, Neku bit out. "I think I'm losing my mind. Can't we just finish the rest some other day?"

"I'm almost finished."

"Joshua..." he warned.

Joshua sighed. "...Then again, how about I take you to Shibu-Q Headquarters and you wait for me there?"

"...Forget it. Just finish it. Quickly."

Neku had badgered Joshua into bringing him along the first place. At the very least, he needed to let Joshua finish purging the Noises and negativity and making CAT's message clear again.

As he waited, Neku grasped onto Joshua's hand even more tightly than Joshua held his. Closing his eyes, Neku focused on wrestling with the Noises and negativity clouding his mind to keep his thoughts his. Then, he focused on Joshua's Music that captivated him. It came out baroque and soothing. It came out like heavenly music. Like...

_"The world's tiniest violin playing."_

On its own and bravely.

And no one could play it that well but him.

xxx

Joshua's weary eyes opened. He had finished. As he rearranged the blue scarf around his neck, a small case that resembled a matchbox dropped from the pocket of Joshua's gray jacket. The case opened and revealed a silver and wooden wind instrument.

"Is this a harmonica?" Neku asked.

"Hm?"

Joshua raised his head to see Neku stoop over to pick up his silver-plated harmonica. Neku stared at it, somewhat in marvel before placing it in its case. He handed it back to Joshua, who pocketed it.

"Do you still play?"

Joshua chuckled. "That, Neku, was long, long ago."

"How long ago? Iron Age?"

"Stone Age really," Joshua said. "Father taught me. He used to play it for Mother all the time."

Joshua started heading out into a dark alley towards Shibu-Q Headquarters. He intended to leave the area quickly. Udagawa needed time to heal on its own accord without him.

But Neku stopped walking.

"That reminds me. Mom called..."

"Asking me to meet your Mom already? How sly." Joshua smirked and somewhat sang out, "And I haven't even consented yet..."

Joshua's smile faded. His eyes caught sight of a silver Grizzly Bear Noise before him beside a tall mountain of garbage. Its distorted face closely resembled a human's. One of its heavy paws morphed into a long, gray hand that carried a gun. At a distance but closer to Neku, another Grizzly Bear Noise stood with a loaded gun.

In total, two Noises bearing guns cornered them--one on each side of the dark, cold alley. Their foreboding presence shook the barrier between the RG and UG Joshua had recreated.

"Neku..."

"Shut up, you bastard." The voice came out cold, void of emotion.

Joshua then noticed that Neku no longer held his hand. Joshua's blood ran cold. His open hand formed into a fist. His heart pounded as he stared into Neku's now blank eyes.

Neku pointed his gun at him.

xxx

"Neku, snap out of it."

"I hate you, you know that? Shibuya's Composer! I hate you. Your very existence is pathetic!"

What Neku said sounded like a mix between what the two partially human Noises and Neku, deep down, wanted to tell him.

"Don't let the Noises poison you. You're better than that."

"The Noises have no hold on me, Composer. This is what I want to do." Neku laughed hollowly. "This is what I want to do to you the whole time!"

"...If that is true, then shoot me."

Neku's arms started shaking as Joshua walked closer to him.

"You killed me twice, you cold-hearted monster. You ruined my life and betrayed me! I'll never forgive you that easily!"

"...So shoot me. You've every right to do it."

Joshua approached so close that Neku pressed the cold gun hard against his head. But Neku's voice started breaking.

"You're stupid. I can kill you with this."

"I don't care. If it'll wake you up, Neku, then just do it. I'm not afraid."

"...Keep away from me."

Even suffocated in negativity, Neku's Soul spoke to his clearly. His Soul shouted at Joshua to leave him. Joshua's eyes just looked down at the concrete. He breathed in deeply and stood there without an invisible shield or his cell at hand. He stood there like any vulnerable human being.

"I'm not running," Joshua said quietly.

Neku, slowly and painfully, lowered the gun. Joshua's hand reached out to him. But then, Joshua sensed the two partially human Noises raise their guns and aim.

Joshua shoved Neku away.

Three gunshots echoed in the dark, narrow alley. One bullet pierced Neku's shoulder. The Noise behind Joshua had missed and erased the other Noise instead. But the last bullet...

"Joshua...?" Neku said weakly.

Neku dropped his gun, still smoking faintly. It landed with a loud clunk against the concrete. The haze in his eyes had finally cleared as the negativity around them slowly diminished. He stared in horror at Joshua, who smirked at him. But before he said a word, Joshua collapsed onto one knee before Neku's feet. Joshua's eyes closed as he grimaced and covered his bleeding arm with a hand.

"Dammit, why... Why did you let me?"

Neku kept shaking his head in disbelief. He failed to notice the much larger gash on his shoulder.

"Shh," Joshua said. "...Let's get out of here first. I'll heal you at WildKat."

Joshua's free hand clutched the dropped gun, still warm from firing. He closed his eyes and concentrated his power. At this point, he didn't care how much power it'd take him to bring Neku to safety.

"I was hoping to avoid this..."

"Joshua?"

His ear picked up the anticipated sound of metal clicking behind him. In a matter of seconds, Joshua spun around and fired at the Noise. A beam of white thunder enveloped the Noise. Its half human body crashed backwards into the leaning tower of garbage with a hideous screech. The Noise faded from existence and so did the gun in Joshua's hand. Neither withstood the power Joshua had unleashed.

"What's making them so powerful? I wonder..."

He winced. He shook his head forcefully to prevent a sudden wave of exhaustion claiming him.

"Joshua!"

He gasped. His eyes shut as Neku's weight dragged them both down and crushed him. Joshua's shoulder blades, his back, and neck panged the moment they hit concrete. His elbows burned from scraping against it. But the back of his head was spared from slamming against the wall behind him.

Neku's hand had shielded Joshua's head. His body shielded Joshua from the onslaught of garbage. Neku gritted his teeth as heavy boxes, a crowbar, and every other trash banged against his back and shoulders. Sometimes, Joshua winced as some sharp, otherwise heavy debris crushed his feet. At the end, the thunderstorm of garbage finally ceased.

xxx

There in the dark alley and trapped underneath all that debris, Joshua laid on his back with Neku between his legs. Neku still struggled to support all that debris on his back.

"...Neku, you...you don't need to do that. You can..."

Sweat beaded from Neku's forehead. The debris against him rattled as Neku shook his head, indicating his stubborn refusal to let Joshua bear any of the weight.

"You know. You don't look all that attractive with that pile of garbage on your back."

"Can you move?" Neku finally asked.

Joshua wiggled his toes, but something pinned his feet in place. He tried lifting his head, but his forehead smacked Neku's. They stared at one another in surprise. At the end, Joshua concluded only his arms and knees had any amount of freedom. Joshua laid low against the concrete. His heart beat quicker and quicker as each painful minute passed.

"So where's my cell? I can teleport us, before people find us in this promising pos..."

Joshua's breath hitched as Neku breathed against his neck. His head felt dizzy.

"Stay still. This should only take a few minutes," Neku said.

"Neku," he warned.

His blood ran cold. Joshua's hands balled into tight fists.

"Are you scared?"

Those words stopped Joshua from moving. His heart rate jumped another notch even as Joshua shook his head furiously. He huffed loudly. With frustration, he turned his head to avoid Neku's intent gaze. It did little to conceal the flush that adorned his face.

Neku flushed a little as well.

"I'll try to be fast," he promised.

Joshua shut his eyes as Neku's face came up close to his again. A few times, Joshua winced as Neku's teeth and lips brushed the sensitive side of his neck. Feeling Neku's warm breath, Joshua tossed his head back a little as the scarf from his neck was loosened. Lastly, the golden chain around his neck was pushed aside, exposing his neck to the chilly air around them.

"Stop it," Joshua said.

"...I'm almost there."

Neku then took the slider of the gray jacket's zipper between his teeth. He tugged it downwards, revealing the black spiderweb jersey Joshua wore underneath. A cold breeze rushed against Joshua's now partially revealed collarbone and chest.

"Neku, I mean it. If you even...!"

"Found it."

"...What?"

"Your cellphone!" Neku snapped. "Now could we get out of this heap?"

Joshua mustered the meanest glare at Neku, before he and Neku faded into an angry beam of white light.

xxx

Neku laid shirtless on his stomach in Mr. H's bed at WildKat. Joshua's hand laid upon Neku's wounded shoulder. Power tingled from his hand and trickled down Neku's shoulder and spine.

"Why didn't you just tell me where it was?" Joshua asked irritably.

Back then, Joshua's cellphone was stuck between his jacket and jersey the whole time. Joshua only needed to touch it in order to channel his powers. Apparently, Neku thought Joshua actually needed to hold the cellphone in his hand.

Stupid, Neku. Stupid.

"If you just told me, I could've teleported us ages ago."

Neku sighed loudly.

"If you gave any sign that you could breathe that might have helped tremendously."

"I did..."

"Oh yes," Neku interrupted, "by stuttering at me. How appropriate. You convinced me you'd have a seizure, pipsqueak. What exactly were you thinking?"

"You did that on purpose. You were suffocating me." Joshua huffed, unconvinced.

"Suffocating you?" Neku exclaimed. "Suffocating you? Now really, after going through all that damn trouble to save your skinny behind you tell me...!"

As Neku swerved to make eye contact with Joshua, he noticed the stained bandages around Joshua's arm. His hand quietly reached out to touch the stains.

The glow from Joshua's hand faded. His hand left Neku's shoulder. He moved swiftly away and stood tall with his back facing Neku. Joshua held his wounded arm close to him--as if examining it.

"...Joshua, I shot you, didn't I?"

Joshua just waved his hand, uncaring. "It's no big deal. You just scratched me."

"I hurt you badly," Neku whispered, his voice threatening to break. "What was I thinking? What was I saying...?"

"Neku..."

"You saved me twice, and all I ever did was shoot you for it!"

"Honestly, Neku. I forgive you."

"Dammit, why aren't you angry? I was a freaking backstabber! You're not supposed to forgive me!"

"Why not?" Then Joshua faced him. He said indifferently, "You weren't intending to shoot me. I was just careless and ended up in your line of fire. End of story."

"Dammit, don't forgive me! I don't want you to forgive me!"

Neku still hadn't verbally forgiven Joshua. In fact, while the negativity possessed him at Udagawa, Neku had spouted every reason why he would always hate Joshua for everything. Yet here Joshua was forgiving him for nearly ending his life after saving Neku's twice.

"Back there, you actually trusted me. And I just blew...!"

Joshua smirked. "You're thinking too deep. I don't trust anybody. Remember?"

While Joshua approached and shared his life, Neku closed the doors and shared nothing. The one time Joshua demonstrated a hint of trust, Neku shot a bullet at him.

As Joshua silently walked over to him, Neku silently laid on his stomach and brooded.

"So tell me something. What does Mrs. Sakuraba use to heal a boo-boo?" Joshua asked.

For longest time, Neku had no answer. He did not think Joshua actually wanted one, until he saw the seriousness in those eyes.

"...She used to take me in her arms. Tell me happy thoughts. Sometimes she would..."

Neku's voice trailed off.

Joshua smirked, seeing Neku's face flush furiously. "Oh, I see. In that case..."

"Joshua, if you dare do anything I swear I'll turn you upside down and shake you..."

Like an overgrown piggy bank.

Joshua leaned over anyway. Neku gaped as something gentle and warm brushed against his wound briefly. A sudden burst of energy enveloped the two of them. As the wound slowly healed, the burden in his heart lifted, if only a little.

Then, Joshua frowned slightly and inched away. His nose twitched.

"What now?"

"Neku, you stink."

"...I do?"

Joshua flipped his hair and smirked as Neku sniffed his arm and gagged loudly. Neku scrambled to his feet.

"Oh, the trauma. I wonder what Mrs. Sakuraba would say."

"I'm...! Crap!"

"Literally. I can't believe you had to smell yourself to notice it."

"This is coming from the wise one who kissed me."

"My, my, Neku." Joshua grinned. "So you were hoping for _that_ from me?"

Neku answered him with an angry slam of the bathroom door.

xxx

At that instance, Joshua's smile faded. His eyes closed. His legs gave in. With an abrupt thump, he slumped down to the floor at the foot of Mr. H's bed. The sound of his Timer nauseated him, almost mocked him.

_"Shibuya's Composer! I hate you. Your very existence is pathetic!"_

"...I think I overused my powers today. Heh heh."

He bit his lower lip and folded his arms around himself. He wrapped them close, very close to his heavy heart as the wound from his arms continued to stain his bandages thoroughly.

xxx

Thank you for reading. Review please?


	11. A Bolt of Reality

Much love and thanks to **Julumien, Grim-Angel-Camui, ArchaicLight, AntiSora, JoshuaXNeku, Valkyrja Kaori, Arcane Era, Suigetsudan, Katraa, weaverofstars, koga123, Flying Pichu, The Light's Refrain, Kuroneko Hikage, momijikk, Kioku-Ayumadi, xTrateltx**! :D

And to those who fav-d, put alerts, or put this fic into a community: I really do appreciate it. Thanks!

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 11: A Bolt of Reality**

Joshua prodded the lump in Sanae's bed.

"I thought I healed you already. Why do you look like that?"

Wrestling with the covers, he peeled them back and revealed Neku, wearing a tee with faded ice cream prints on it. His shoulder wound no longer existed. It left not a single scar, but the event at Udagawa certainly did. About three days passed since the shooting, and Neku still acted sour in both mood and appearance.

On the contrary, Joshua acted with his usual radiance. That afternoon, he settled with wearing a white and pink gauze shirt and some dark jeans. The old-school shirt concealed the bandages on his arm. He even combed his hair somewhat straight.

"Aw, now look at you. Poor and lonely Neku. Poor hopeless, clueless, defenseless..."

"Joshua."

"Yes?"

Neku rolled to his side. His back turned to him.

"Shut up. You're noisy."

Joshua tossed Neku a stack of clothes that consisted a black tank, bleached jeans, and a sporty, green sweater. Neku rubbed his eyes with a hand and sighed heavily.

"You're going to change into these. Then, you'll kindly join me with your sunny smile and help run the cafe." Joshua enunciated.

"Dammit. Just what gave you this insane idea anyway?"

"Better than visiting every street and building to see Shibuya's condition," Joshua said. "Now I already did all that hard work imprinting and bringing some citizens to this dingy cafe. All you need to do is pour the coffee."

xxx

As he slipped on the green Dragon Couture sweater, Neku noticed a yellow quilt, folded neatly on the seat of an armchair. It appeared that Joshua had slept in that chair again.

"Hey Joshua. About Ud..."

"Let's go," he said.

Neku tried catching up, to grab his arm or tap Joshua's shoulder; however, Joshua managed to slip away and proceed down the narrow flight of stairs before them.

Every time Neku mentioned Udagawa, Joshua acted oblivious as if the shooting there never existed. As if nothing changed. But Neku noticed the subtle change. Anytime Neku initiated even the slightest contact, Joshua found some way to evade it.

"Neku."

His ears vaguely picked up the chattering and a bit of pop music in the cafe. He smelled the dark coffee and pumpkin soup distinctively.

"Um, Neku."

"What now?" he snapped.

Halfway down the stairs, Joshua waved a hand. His back faced Neku. The way he stopped walking and posed with a hand in his pocket spelled out an air of arrogance.

"One foot at a time. In case you forgot already," he said.

"You piece of snot!"

In four loud stomps that spelled out doom, he stepped on his loose shoelaces and tripped.

xxx

From behind, arms swung around Joshua's shoulders and smothered him. The sudden weight shoved him forward. His world turned upside down. Loud thumps followed by an annoyed groan erupted. With much beauty and grace, Joshua and Neku fell down the stairs. Pain shot through Joshua's nose, arms, and knees after landing flat on his face. Neku smashed him.

"...Your sense of balance is pathetic."

"You do realize how much I want to pound you into this floor, right?" Neku exclaimed.

Whistles, snickers, and laughter erupted in the cafe. A nearby customer flipped open his newspaper, while another drank his coffee in poor attempts to hide their grins.

"So spicy tuna roll, is that how you treat your boyfriend?"

Back in a corner, Prince Eiji Oiji and some of his fan girls gathered. Their eyes, once peering at the Prince's laptop and blog, now focused on them.

"Boyfriend...?"

Averting his gaze, Joshua placed a hand against his cheek and drummed his fingers idly. Sighing, he waited calmly for Mount Sakuraba to erupt already.

"Boyfriend?" Neku exclaimed.

"Just another decibel louder and the entire district of Shibuya can hear you," Joshua said.

"Oh, hush!"

Neku smacked him hard on the head before finding his feet.

xxx

Breathing deeply, Joshua closed the backroom's door. He rolled up his sleeves and revealed his shaky arm and soiled bandages. His wound had reopened.

"Stupid Neku."

He winced.

From the backroom, Joshua heard a chorus of laughter again, mixed with squealing and whistling. Shibuya brightened every moment. The rumor about two junior baristas being boyfriends appealed to the city. Though every time Shibuya brightened, Neku's Soul grew heavier and sadder. His negativity attracted the Noises so much that a few pressed up against the glass window and door of WildKat.

"So how is it like? The two of you?"

"Hey, spicy tuna roll. Is this your first relationship?"

Joshua peered in, seeing Neku bombarded with questions, especially from the nosy Ie Grand shopkeeper and the Prince. They wanted the "good details" of Joshua and Neku's assumed relationship.

Neku remained silent, sometimes muttering a few words. He kept sweeping the floor furiously. For some reason, Neku ran out of his sarcastic remarks and just turned redder and redder after each painful minute.

"Aw, look at him. He's in denial!"

The rumor, while annoying, had no effect on Joshua. If he stayed in the backroom or if the customers left WildKat, they would no longer remember him. No human-made device or media could capture him. No one's Soul there was refined enough to remember anything about him.

But if the Prince managed to post his blog entry about them, every corner of Shibuya might believe that Neku had a boyfriend.

Joshua furiously pulled his sleeves down again. A tiny spark formed at his fingertip. Forgetting about ointment and bandages, Joshua marched over to the nearest power outlet.

xxx

Moments later, the lights flickered ominously. Every electrical appliance plugged into an outlet lost connection. The coffee maker hissed in protest. WildKat's pop music started skipping, coming out distorted and eerie. Several of the Prince's fans whined, and other customers groaned in irritation.

"Nothing to fear about," the Prince said enthusiastically. "I'll just save this blog entry..."

Like a bolt from the blue, a prompt with a red X appeared on the screen before the Prince's laptop died completely. The sudden power surge corrupted the file that entailed the story about two certain WildKat baristas. The Prince let out his dramatic sigh as some fangirls actually cried.

"Neku, come here."

Joshua's stern voice startled Neku. Joshua carried a stack of cardboard boxes in his arms. One of his arms shook, presumably from the boxes' weight. Neku put his broom aside as Joshua set the boxes on an empty stool. They busily cracked them open and revealed the new glassware that featured CAT's signature.

One by one, Neku placed each glassware into an empty cupboard.

HT Masuoka chuckled. He patiently waited for one of them to refill his coffee. "...So how good is he in bed?"

Neku nearly shattered the glass he was holding.

"Very good actually. He sleeps the whole night," Joshua replied coolly.

"I had a thought..."

"Congratulations."

Joshua stomped on an empty cardboard box and crushed it.

Unknown to the WildKat's customers, Joshua's two fingers curled around Neku's briefly. From then on, he never quite left Neku's personal radius. He stayed nearby, until Neku's cellphone rang. By that time, only one customer remained, finishing her doughnut and coffee. Joshua offered a smile to Neku and waved his hand.

"Have fun, Neku," he said.

Neku left the cafe.

xxx

At Miyashita, Neku and Beat sat on the cold, concrete stairs near the underpass covered with graffiti. They were dutifully drinking soda to wash down the fires in their mouths from all the chili dogs they ate. Beat had one of his Tiger Punk skateboards near his feet.

"...So, where's Rhyme?" Neku asked quietly.

Beat sighed. "Me and Rhyme had one of 'em fights again. She let someone borrow my thing without askin' me."

"What thing?"

"My skateboard, Phones! Skate. Board!"

Neku stopped drinking his soda. His stomach fell as Beat crunched a chili dog wrapper into a tight wad and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

"...Look, Beat. I can always buy you a new one..."

"Dammit Phones, it's no ordinary gift! It's a really old one! Rhyme emptied her whole savings to give me that thing!"

"...You shouldn't be mad at her though," Neku said softly.

"Like hell you're gonna tell me what to do! She let a blasted nobody borrow it!"

Neku's hand that held the soda can shook with irritation.

"Beat. If you've to be mad about that, then blame me! Rhyme has nothing to do with it!"

"You sidin' with Rhyme?" Beat bellowed.

"I side with no one! I know the nobody who took your board! And there's no way you'll be getting it back, because he was stupid enough to break it! I was the one who took it, so blame me!"

"You. What?" Beat exclaimed. He appeared to have a fist ready.

"Like I said." Neku crossed his arms. "Your skateboard. Got chewed. I'm sorry."

"Sorry does jack! You let me blame on Rhyme this whole time, yo!" Beat exclaimed. "Now what's with you turnin' to smoke on us? You didn't even pay Shiki a visit after that accident!"

"...Are they mad too?"

"No, yo. They ain't mad." Before Neku breathed, Beat hollered, "But I am! Some friend you are! You hardly show up anymore!"

Neku let out a dry laugh. "That's right. I'm not a good friend. I've Rhyme who took the blame and I never thanked. I've Shiki who injured herself but I never went to see. There's you I borrowed something from but never said a damn thing! Then there's Joshua I keep hurting over and over again! I never was a good friend. I knew that already!"

Neku crushed his soda can and tossed it. He missed. The empty can rattled against the concrete.

"Prissy britches...?"

No matter how many times Neku mentioned Joshua, Shiki and Rhyme only remembered Joshua as Neku's special friend and Beat remembered him as the prissy britches that stole their friend away. Sometimes, they recalled random details like his silver hair. Other than that, they remained oblivious about him. Due to that Composer law, anything related to Joshua remained a secret.

"Prissy britches. Is somethin' wrong with 'im?"

"Why isn't he angry with me? I'm supposed to take care of him! He's the one dying right now, yet he's the one caring for me! He's the one saving me!"

"Well, stop 'im from dyin' then! Looks like he has things together better than you do for a chance."

Closing his eyes, Neku bit his lower lip. He clamped his mouth.

"How long does prissy britches have?"

"I don't know!" Neku shouted. He clamped his hands over his ears. "I don't know! Could be a few months, a few weeks, maybe even a few...!"

"Wa-wa-Whoa! What's up with you, man? Even I know prissy britches can put up a better fight than that!"

"How can you say that? You don't remember him! You know nothing!"

"I damn well know nothin'! Never claimed I did! You ain't tellin' me anything yo! And from the sound of it, you don't know jack either!" Beat hollered.

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up! Prissy britches ain't a partner. He's your friend! And friends don't let other friends down yo!"

"...What makes you think he thinks me one?" Neku asked coldly.

"Well, I'm still one. I'm still here listenin' to your whine, whine, whine even after ya cracked me board, let me blame Rhyme, and turn to smoke, right? Prissy britches still hangin' with you after you hurt 'im and freakin' need him to save your hind every time."

Neku fell silent and stared at his feet.

"And get this straight! Even if I angry with Rhyme and she with me, it doesn't mean I no trust or love her 'cause I do! She ain't here right now, but she's still my lil' sister. She'd still be there for me, and I'll still stop a damn car for her even if I know I ain't got what it takes to save her!"

"I still can't fight it."

"I know that! If I can't stop a car, then you can't stop a failin' heart yo! So what! Least I try!"

Sighing, Neku rubbed his head.

"He doesn't have heart failure."

Beat shrugged his shoulders. He looked to the sky for wisdom. "Whatever prissy kid has then."

"...I never heard you say something so idiotic in my life. My hero."

"Yup, that's me." Beat then gasped. "...Wait a moment! You're makin' fun of me!"

"Thanks...yo."

Beat was silent for a long moment. Then, he burst into laughter as Neku averted his eyes and scratched his head.

xxx

At the tiny playground, groups of kids played jump rope, while others battled each other in games of Tin Pin. On a bench, a quiet child buried her face in a book. A little sister clapped with delight as a big brother demonstrated how fast he could go across the monkey bars. The sky was darkening with clouds, and mothers and fathers called to their children.

At the end, only one remained at the playground. No one bothered calling him. No one even cast a glance at him. While Neku was out chatting, Joshua was out sitting alone on a swing. He grasped the chains with both hands but hardly moved even a squeak.

"Hm. I can hear Shibuya again," he said.

Shibuya had grown stronger with Joshua and CAT's artwork dominating the city, especially Udagawa and Towa Records. The barrier the Art created effectively prevented more Noises from seeping into the RG. Little by little, the Reapers were removing the destructive Noises stuck in the RG. Little by little, Shibuya's Music sounded clearer and more energetic.

But underneath the boisterous Music, something wretched remained alive and waiting to sabotage the city.

"It makes no sense. Why would the Planes hate Shibuya so much and create something like that?"

After witnessing two Noises transform into half human forms at Udagawa, Joshua dreaded to see what the Higher Ups had in mind to ensure his failure in saving Shibuya. Only Joshua and some specific Angels possessed enough Imagination to create such corrupt beings the first place...

A familiar shadow cast over him. Joshua recognized the scent of chili dogs and coffee. From behind, warm hands clamped over his. A chin rested on his head.

"What are you doing here? It's late."

Only a dingy lamppost offered any light in the darkness.

"I didn't want the Noises to sweep you off your feet and carry you to their kingdom," Joshua replied.

He struggled to move his hands, but Neku refused to release them.

"You know. This swing will rust in shame if you sit there like that," Neku said.

"Then what am I supposed to do about that."

Joshua practically felt Neku smiling just then. He sensed Neku's Soul radiating, almost humming. Neku's hands slowly inched away. Joshua's eyes widened as Neku shoved him; instead of flying up into the air, Joshua toppled off the swing. A tiny cloud of smoke formed.

"...Neku, that wasn't funny."

With crossed arms, Joshua remained seated on the tanbark. He was miffed.

"Gee. I thought you knew how to swing."

"I do know how. Just some genius pushed me."

"You weren't supposed to drag your feet," Neku replied.

Sighing loudly, Joshua searched for his cellphone, but Neku grabbed his hand and pulled him up to his feet.

"No more Composer powers today. I'll take us back to WildKat."

"Hm?" Joshua frowned visibly as Neku stuffed their hands into his warm coat pocket.

"You must be tired. You wasted your power short-circuiting Shibuya just because of something stupid I said."

"I didn't short-circuit Shibuya. I just put my finger in the outlet."

Chuckling softly, Neku gave Joshua's hand a tight squeeze. With his other hand, he patted Joshua's head roughly before leading them back to WildKat.

xxx

Hours passed. Some time ago, they had returned to WildKat, and Joshua had fallen asleep in Sanae's bed. It was way past midnight, and Joshua woke up, wincing from his arm's persistent throbbing. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he walked over and picked up the glass of water set on the drawer. He drank, and his eyes fell upon a spectacle before him.

"Just what are you doing down here?" Joshua asked as he set the empty glass down.

At such a late hour, Joshua found Neku flat on his stomach on the floor, littered with comic books, magazines, and colored pencils. Neku's arms and head laid against a sketch pad. He was busy waging a battle to keep his eyes open.

"What...? What the...!" Neku exclaimed as half of a quilt fell on top of him.

The rest draped over Joshua, who rested on his stomach beside him. Joshua folded his arms and rested his head against them.

"Just what are you doing?" he repeated. "Not even a burger joint is up and running this early."

Neku gave him a stony glare. "...News flash. I'm not a burger joint. For your information, I was busy."

Neku shoved his sketch pad towards him to prove it.

Joshua fell silent. His eyebrows raised. His lips curved into a smile. Joshua snickered softly at the pool of drool on Neku's recent drawing. From the corner of his eye, he caught Neku ominously rolling up a comic book as if waiting for a spider to take another step closer before smashing it...

"I can see that, sunshine," Joshua said, "With you nodding off and that nice puddle you made, I can tell you're a diligent worker. The Prince would F that for sure..."

That rolled up comic book hit him hard on the head. It silenced him for a grand total of three seconds.

"You seem to enjoy doing that lately."

"I thought I was playing Whack-a-Mole. My mistake," Neku said and tossed the book aside.

Joshua hit his fists against the floor and pretended to whine. "I'm telling. Mother! Little Neku made a puddle on the floor again!"

Groaning irritably, Neku covered his face. The tip of Neku's ear burned red.

"Oh, shut up! I can just imagine you a preschooler! You'll cause a scene if someone stole your blocks and played with them!"

Joshua sighed, much too contently. "But it's really a tragedy that your slobber ruined such a lovely sketch of the River."

Neku's sketch featured an individual with a hand in his short, wavy hair. The person was standing in the sand. A message in a green bottle was stuck near his feet. In the background, huge, blue waves threatened to engulf him.

On his stomach, Joshua rested his head against his folded arms once again.

"Something tells me someone has never been to the ocean," Neku said.

"...And some Art tells me someone has been dreaming up a romantic date with Miss Piggy."

"...I think that blow on your head really dumbed you down significantly."

"Just whose fault is that?"

In reply, Neku pinched and tugged one of Joshua's ears briefly.

"I so want to skin you alive."

"Hm. You persist to see me strip when you refuse to sleep anywhere near me." Joshua mused. "I bet you still believe that when two people sleep in the same bed that babies would jump out from under the blanket."

Neku fumed. "If anything like that happens, it'd surely be _your_ fault! Jerk face!"

"Let's put that theory to the test, shall we?"

A peaceful smile formed on Joshua's face as he closed his weary eyes. He shifted a little to make himself comfortable against the hard floor.

"Hey pipsqueak." Neku elbowed him.

Joshua cracked an eye open. "Hm?"

"If something happens, it's your responsibility."

"Hee hee. If something happens, I'll... make dinner then."

Neku pouted. "How cheap. You'll burn the whole cafe!"

"...You're not the only one... with hidden... talents."

With that said, Joshua's eyes closed. His breathing turned quiet and rhythmic, and he drifted to a peaceful slumber again.

xxx

"I wasn't complimenting you. Idiot." He smiled faintly.

After shaking his head, Neku inspected his drawing of a person standing before a mighty ocean. He furtively glanced at Joshua a few more times, before he took out a colored pencil and started outlining the person in white.

xxx

Hope you enjoyed the reading. Do comment please!


	12. The Third Wheel

Super thanks to **AntiSora, Scattered Memories, JoshuaXNeku, Arcane Era, Grim-Angel-Camui, Julumien, ArchaicLight, MissyRandom****, Kuroneko Hikage, Crispy Rice, Oblivion XIII, Kioku-Ayumadi**! Thank you, everyone! :)

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 12: The Third Wheel  
**

"Why don't you ask her friends? Your friends?" Joshua asked as he spun the circular tray that held the chopsticks, the napkins, and the containers of soy sauce and vinegar.

Taped to the walls, the paper signs swayed and rattled loudly each time a customer walked in and out of Ramen Don. The entire air was filled with curry and Mr. Doi's cheerful humming.

Neku said, "I already told Beat and Rhyme about it, but they haven't come up with anything. If I asked Eri, she'll definitely tell. I want it to be a surprise for Shiki."

"Hee hee. What makes you think I won't blab?"

Neku rolled up his sleeves and showed a fist.

"Just know I've this ready to make things painful."

Joshua smirked. Putting a hand to his cheek, he looked at Neku and pretended to blush.

"I'm shocked. Didn't know you'd find such a scheme to have your way with me."

Neku scowled. "Say anything more, and there will be no Shio Ramen for a week."

With emphasis, he snatched the first bowl of Shio Ramen Mr. Doi gave them.

xxx

Ever since then, Joshua always referred to the surprise as a date and Shiki as Neku's girlfriend. For the pass several days, Joshua had helped him plan this event that involved a formal dinner, a tour, and Prince Eiji. Within those several days, Neku kept busy, spending his time mostly with friends and Joshua every now and then. At odd hours, he sneaked off to work on his Art in privacy.

Neku wanted to make this outing with Shiki special. Unlike with his other friends, he had failed to see Shiki ever since he met Joshua in the RG. He had failed to see her even after that accident.

He also wanted to make this special for another reason entirely...

That day finally arrived for Neku to go on that special outing. Neku just put on his suit when he heard the door of WildKat open with a sigh. When he headed downstairs, his first reaction was to snatch the nearest object and threaten the intruder with it.

"Hold it. I'm only here to talk," the Angel spoke as he took a mug and helped himself to some coffee.

Neku lowered his frying pan as the elder Angel sat down, enjoying some chocolate glazed doughnuts and blueberry muffins with his dark coffee.

"The Composer did a commendable job with restoring Shibuya..." The Angel paused long enough to see Neku folding his arms, waiting "...but I'm afraid what he has done won't work much longer. You do know if the barrier collapses what will happen to the Composer, right?"

"Enlighten me."

"The Composer will die."

The Angel peered over at him again.

"Like that Timer wasn't a dead give away. Is that all?" Neku retorted.

"Listen. The Composer is the sole reason this Shibuya stands to this day. If he still insists on restoring this Shibuya, he'd endure much unneeded suffering for doing just that. And right now, he has little chance in succeeding."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to convince him to follow what the Higher Planes have in mind." Neku appeared unfazed as the Angel explained, "The Planes don't wish for either of you to undergo any additional suffering. We want you to save him, save yourself, from it."

"...Maybe I believe you," Neku said at last.

"Thatta boy, Neku. I knew you'd under..."

"I didn't say I'd do anything!" Neku snapped. "If you're so concerned about Shibuya and its Composer, why don't you support him yourself? Why are you Planes so bent on ruining this city anyway?"

"We from the Planes can't involve ourselves directly. We can only observe and influence it."

"I see sabotaging his every efforts as your loving way to express influence."

"Sabotage...?" The Angel raised an eyebrow. "I thought we already..."

"Apologies don't do jack! Not when you send your minions out for his blood! You're the only reason that the Composer can't succeed dammit!"

The Angel frowned a little before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Tell me who you trust more: the Composer or the barista that runs this place?"

Neku tensed. His hands tightened around the frying pan. "Did you do something to Mr. H?"

"Nothing. The Planes just won't let him return, until this Game here ends."

The Angels refused to support Joshua. Now, they even refused to let a coffee guy who knew his Art help him--even a tiny bit.

"...I'd never forget the things Mr. H taught me. I promised him I'll take care of J-the Composer, and I intend to keep it."

"Just because of a promise, huh."

"...No. Because that little snot is my friend."

The Angel stopped chewing and placed the half-eaten muffin down. He furrowed his brows.

"That's a mighty price you might pay... for a friend. For that strong feeling you've for him."

Neku scowled. "As if I've feelings for him!"

"Maybe I'm wrong to say that. After all, you've strong feelings for that girl as well." The Angel smirked. "Besides, the Composer is the same guy that shot you twice. He's a constant prick, a little snot you call him. You shouldn't even pay such a price for someone that once betrayed you. He isn't even human."

The Angels' dark eyebrows raised in surprise. His shades nearly slid off his nose as a large frying pan slammed the counter and left an angry dent. The pan rang loudly.

"I don't care who or what he is or what he did! I don't care what you or the rest of you celestial chicken think either! You can foul-mouth about me, but I won't let you insult him. I won't let you do what you want with him! You got that?"

"...You don't support him either. Even the Planes know that."

"Out." As the Angel stood, Neku glowered and pointed with his pan. "And cough it up."

"Gee. You're kidding me." The Angel scratched his chin.

"Cough it up. Or I can always send the bill to the Planes. Take your pick, chicken."

xxx

Inside the secondhand shop Cosmic Corner, Shinta Iwata handed Joshua a familiar gold chain, now with a pendant attached. It was the chain Neku gave him.

"...Here you go, kid. I fixed it. All in good condition like the other you showed me."

Joshua briefly examined and felt the chain, clasp, and pendant before pocketing it.

"You did a fine job with it."

Mr. Iwata grinned as he stroked his pet gator. "You betcha. That's a real find you got there. It's rare that you kids from Generation Z and beyond have something like that and actually know its value..."

Closing his eyes, Joshua pressed his fingers against his sweaty forehead. His head pounded like tots banging against every pot and pan in sight on a dirty kitchen floor. He loosened the green scarf around his neck.

"You all right, kid?"

After knocking off the sign suctioned to the glass door, Joshua shoved the heavy door open and stumbled into the streets.

xxx

As he walked through the massive crowds, his vision turned hazy. All colors turned gray. He saw the fog below his feet and the noodle shops and streets upside down and above him. Mus Rattus' Mowsy, instead of waving, appeared to be doing a one-handed handstand on the advertisement below the 104 building. Like an ice pick, the sudden pressure in his ears pained him.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Move it, boy!"

The Timer pulsated violently. To a Composer, a Timer was nothing but a noisy, irritable timepiece; however, to a Composer and human, this Timer acted like a parasite, feeding off his body's limited strength. Somewhere in Shibuya, those refined Noises spawned, and Shibuya's negativity grew exponentially as well as the parasite within him.

"There you are." The voice paused. "...You okay?"

Then, his vision and hearing returned. Joshua found himself near the stairways of AMX. Before him stood Neku, dressed in a tan tweed suit with a white dress shirt underneath. Neku was panting.

His hand rested on the handlebar of an old bicycle with a back rack. A huge bag hung on the handlebar. Neku had forgotten to button his suit and shirt. His hair was spiky in every wrong direction possible, and he even had on his purple headphones and a muddy pair of sneakers. Joshua knew Neku lacked the expertise in formal wear but to this extent...

"Hey, hey. Cut that out!"

Even Joshua wearing a ragged Hip Snake tee, carpenter jeans, and one of Neku's silly caps looked better than what Neku managed to throw together. Despite Neku's protest, Joshua started straightening and buttoning Neku's dress shirt properly.

He frowned. "Don't you've a date at Molco?"

"...How are the Noises?"

"Why don't you ask them?"

Joshua gestured towards a pair of red Boomer Noises and their joey hopping nearby.

"...Did any friends pay you a visit?"

"No." He stopped buttoning up Neku's suit. "...the Planes?"

"Just a measly one waltzing in to steal some doughnuts and muffins. Don't worry. He paid."

Neku stepped back and finished buttoning it. He removed his headphones and mp3 player and shoved them into Joshua's hand. Then, he started running a black comb through his messy hair.

Instead of holding them, Joshua placed the headphones and lanyard that had the mp3 player attached around his own neck. He had undone his green scarf and wrapped it around Neku's neck. It replaced Neku's nonexistent tie.

"An attractive Soul like yours can't possibly stay single for long." Joshua smirked. "You'll break every girl's heart if you did."

"Doesn't sound so bad. If I can break any girls' heart, that means you with that Soul can break any heart, girl or guy."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Neku crossed his arms. "You take everything as a compliment. That other day, a granny thought we were still little kids playing and weeing in the sandbox."

"What's wrong about acting youthful?"

"We weren't youthful. We were childish."

Neku kicked off his sneakers. He pulled out his black dress shoes from the huge bag.

Joshua saved a brown teddy bear from slipping out and falling splat into the nearest puddle. He stared at the fake headphones over the fluffy bear's ears and the 777 band tee that the pile of stuffing wore.

"It was a promotional item at Shadow Ramen. She really likes 777's band," Neku explained.

Joshua set the teddy bear into the bag and hung it back on the handlebar.

"...Are you sure you don't want to come along?"

"This is your date, Neku." Joshua looked amused. "You'll do plenty fine without me. After all, you and your girlfriend are only stalking the Prince and going to his fancy F places near Shibuya anyway."

"You don't want to leave the city?"

"Shibuya needs me here. I can't leave." Joshua tapped his watch once. "But you should. You shouldn't keep your girlfriend waiting."

xxx

Around them, the lampposts clicked and lit up one by one in the dark, foggy night. Joshua and Neku's breaths, like everyone else, created little puffs in the cold air. From afar, a rock band played some numbers to the curious folks gathering around them. The band and rowdy crowd effectively drowned out AMX's music.

Even with the rock band playing and the people chattering, Joshua's Music echoed the loudest. Even with all the flashing billboards, Joshua's form glowed the brightest in Neku's eyes.

As Joshua turned to leave, Neku said, "...How about I walk you home?"

"Now why would I need that?"

"...Have you eaten yet?"

Neku's voice betrayed a trace of panic. Joshua stopped in his tracks as Neku bowed his head. His face burned warmly. He bit his lower lip hard.

"Neku..."

"...I think...I think I really like you," he said.

xxx

Joshua paused. The wind whipped his back. Turning around, he craned his head in curiosity to see Neku all flustered. He put a hand to his mouth and pondered.

"...Hm, I don't think you'll attract any attention if you said that with your head in the gutter."

"Did you just insult me?"

Neku formed a fist right under Joshua's jaw. Joshua patted it playfully.

"Now, now. I'm only giving advice. Let us change up your style a bit."

"Advice...? Hey!"

Neku stared in horror at Joshua, grinning with mischief as he pinched Neku's cheeks and forced a hideous smile on his face. Neku's face darkened.

"This might spice up the mood. Try saying it again."

"...I really like you? As if!"

Neku's voice was filled with sarcasm, and he lightly shoved Joshua back and rubbed his cheeks.

"No, no." Joshua waved his hand impatiently. "Even a flower will wilt after hearing that. Try again another time."

"...Wait."

Joshua had turned away. With hands in his pockets, he started walking off. Even as the distance grew, Neku still called to him.

"Wait, Joshua!"

Footsteps quickened behind him.

"Yoshiya Kiryu! I said wait!"

He stopped, and his eyes widened. Joshua stared at the arms that encircled his waist. He felt Neku's warm forehead against the back of his neck. He heard Neku's quiet but quick breathing, his heart beating almost in sync with his. From his pocket, Joshua's hand slowly traveled up to touch those arms that held him.

But he never did.

"Don't call me by that name," he replied coldly.

"Joshua..."

"Don't fall for me."

xxx

Though Joshua stood before Neku, that voice felt so rigid, so distant. So overwhelmed with sadness. It felt like the River had frozen over and Neku had fallen into it.

"Don't fall for me."

Neku released him and studied his shoes and the pavement. For the longest time, Joshua never glanced back. Neither spoke, until an amused chuckle sounded. Joshua flipped his hair and turned to Neku. He was beaming.

"Your face is priceless. It's so fun to tease you!"

"...You thought this was a game?"

"Of course not. You were seriously practicing those words with me," Joshua replied. "You've to prepare your heart for what your sweetheart might say during the big night. But now you know what a rejection may sound like. I'm sure when the time comes you'd come up with the brilliance to woo her properly."

Then, Joshua pulled out a pouch from his pocket.

"I was going to wait before I gave you these. But here. Take them."

He entrust Neku with two gold chains. The chain Neku had given Joshua no longer bore the white feather. After fusing with Joshua's powers, that feather no longer existed; instead, this chain held a treble clef pendant, while the other chain held the bass clef. Each old pendant had the Kiryu family name inscribed on it with delicate calligraphy.

"Your chain happened to be similar to that pendant's. Father gave the other pendant to Mother when he confessed his feelings to her."

Neku shook his head. "I can't have these. These are your..."

"There's no one I can give it to. I want you to have them."

In other words, Joshua had no family, no special other, and he smiled and pocketed his hands as though that fact had no effect on him.

Joshua linked an arm with his. He gave that arm one encouraging shake.

He said, "Cheer up. I know that lucky girl loves you dearly."

Neku stared at the pendants and finally closed his hand around them. A moment of silence passed, before Joshua grinned.

"By the way, treble clef tops bass."

"Shut up," Neku said and smacked him on the head for it.

xxx

At Molco, Neku met Shiki, who wore an elegant, pink and white party dress. Shiki's dark hair had grown longer and touched her shoulders. For once, she did not carry the large Mr. Mew for this occasion; instead, she carried a drawstring purse with a tiny Mr. Mew keychain attached to it.

Neku said, "You look pretty."

She blushed happily.

Around them, people roamed and raved about the upcoming Tin Pin Slammer event. As Neku and Shiki conversed, Neku occasionally looked up to the starlit sky, while Shiki stared down at the moving shadows below her feet. Every now and then, they laughed, while their faces turned pinker every moment.

But when the voices quieted around them, Neku handed her the teddy bear in his arm and said, "...I...I really like you, Shiki."

"I really like you too."

After glancing at Neku briefly, Shiki held up and inspected the teddy. She smiled, touching the headphones clamped over the teddy's plump ears.

"...It's very sweet of you. Very thoughtful."

Neku looked down with his feet digging at the concrete as she tiptoed and embraced him. They hugged each other tightly. They whispered sweet words to one another, until a glowing smile formed on Neku's once dismal face. Whatever Neku said, his words caused happy tears to glisten in her beautiful eyes. Shiki beamed as Neku planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"You really are slow, Neku. It would've been so much nicer if you actually kissed her on the lips."

Inside the phone booth of love, Joshua smiled at the photo he had furtively captured of Neku kissing Shiki, who held that snug teddy tightly in her arms. Joshua had stayed away far enough to keep most of Neku and Shiki's conversation private but close enough to capture the moment.

"I guess this would have to do," he said.

He sighed as Neku and Shiki started to leave Shibuya...

Without him.


	13. His Final Blessing

To **Julumien, xTrateltx, Crispy Rice, Arcane Era, MissyRandom, JoshuaXNeku, Oblivion XIII, AntiSora, ShadowOrpheus, Kuroneko Hikage, momijikk, X3NakuruX, FlyingPichu**: Let me say that you guys are so awesome! :) Thank you for supporting this fic.

**For Shibuya's Only Composer**

Post-game. Joshua and Neku. Joshua has worked endlessly to rebuild Shibuya. But while Shibuya's improving, the power in Joshua's Soul and Music is ailing. With his useless proxy and a fragile city, what would it take to stop Joshua from ascending?

Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends With You.

**Chapter 13: His Final Blessing**

Joshua removed the purple headphones from his ears and kept them around his neck. He stood before a tall, crumbling building in the backstreet of Spain Hill. Shutting his eyes, he touched the cold, iron door before him only to withdraw his hand. A sour, almost corrosive odor reeked from the mound of garbage nearby.

"...What do they want from me?"

He had received a text message from the Planes. The Planes had informed him to meet them in this building. Outside this building in the backstreet, not a single Noise scurried around. Outside here, everything remained too quiet for Joshua's liking.

He sensed no Angel inside.

For a split second, he turned to leave but then stayed. He clenched his fist and breathed. At the end for the sake of Shibuya, he saw a trap and walked right into it.

xxx

In this stuffy building, it felt like Udagawa all over again without the presence of CAT's artwork. It felt like a graveyard filled with the Noises, dripping with hatred. Every peeling wall was chalked with codes, sigils, and obscenity. Every corner bore an ominous candle flickering in the darkness. Newspaper clippings, scraps, and photos, old and new alike, scattered everywhere in this room. They were all records, evidence that all these bitter Noises here were once human.

Joshua actually pitied these Noises, a bunch of lost Souls pining about their past lives. They lived without bettering themselves. They refused to accept their faults and change. They lived in anger and anguish. They found no meaning to life and wanted to destroy those that had.

"Your existence is pathetic. A mere Soul like yours that governs our existence."

"Your Games turned us into wretched beasts! Do you find delight in it?"

Closing his eyes, he lowered his head. He gripped his cellphone, letting not a single spark of his power flow through it. In his frail state, he stayed and spoke to them, "I gave you a chance. Without the Game, all your actions would've erased your existence."

"See, see? He is lying!"

"He is lying. As a Composer, why would he care for our existence? We're just fodder in his Game!"

"Change us back, monster! Change us back!"

"If you don't change, how can I change you?" Joshua said, "I'm not the one that made you who you are. You did."

The truth enraged them. Near him, the partially human Noises spat at him.

"Bastard! You don't deserve to speak!"

"We had enough of your Game. Right here, right now, we'll make you play our Game!"

Behind him, the door bolted shut. He heard teeth gnashing and voices screaming. In darkness, the Noises with their poles, claws, tusks, and fists hurled him across the room and started hitting him. Joshua grimaced, even gasped as a rough hands shoved his face to the hard ground, while others restrained his arms. Some slashed and thrashed as others crushed and clobbered his back.

"I hate you! It's all your fault to begin with!"

Just as a breath of fire engulfed him, Joshua's white aura shielded him. His Timer burned within him. The Noises winced and backed away. Many closed their bloodshot eyes from the blinding light.

His aura flickered as he raised to his shaky feet. His feet poorly stepped in time with the sad and slow Music he emitted. He held his breath. Sweat trickled down his face. For a split second, he hesitated.

"...For this city, I'll grant you...your peace," he said.

The Music ended. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head and stretched his arms. From the ceiling, bolts of white thunder and angels with their spears crashed down on the Noises. Once. Then twice. For a brief moment, the whole room burst into white. The Noises' hollers were silenced. Their bodies turned into static. His aura faded.

At the end, Shibuya breathed, and Joshua landed with a loud crunch on his face. Sparks of his power shocked him. They ran uncontrolled throughout his shivering, injured body. Several times, he tried finding his feet only to double over and over again. He was heaving.

And in the shadows, the half-human Noises' leader remained hidden and safe. Her jeering voice confirmed her cold presence.

"Just as I predicted. Without your powers, you're useless. And with that power, you'll die shortly."

"...You're the one creating the Noises," he said.

Konishi laughed. "Of course. Minamimoto was much too stupid to accomplish this. He needed Hanekoma's help to create those Taboo Noises to begin with."

"...You're not really loyal to the Planes."

"Every war leads to opportunities." She grinned. "The Planes ordered Hanekoma and the others to do away with the current Shibuya and its Composer. They didn't specify in what way."

After learning about Sanae and Minamimoto's collusion in the previous Game, the idea of Sanae doing this and recruiting Konishi as a trump card hardly surprised Joshua. After all, he met former Reapers Higashizawa, Kariya, and Yashiro already. The only past and formidable Reapers that remained out of the picture were Sho Minamimoto and Megumi Kitaniji.

"Why don't you just die already? It'll be so much easier that way," Konishi said.

The Planes wanted Joshua to ascend and abandon the current Shibuya. They deemed him too weak to support it and ordered Sanae to eradicate him.

Before taking his leave as Producer, Sanae had messed with Joshua's frequency and changed him into a human. Joshua was stuck in the RG and in a form only capable of sustaining his powers for a brief duration. The Planes also had gifted Joshua with a Timer that sapped his time and physical strength, while Konishi had worked undercover, forming an army of Noises set to wreck the city.

Everything crippled his Composer abilities. And everything worked to ensure his failure to save himself and the current city.

Konishi smiled. "Just die already. Right now, you're exactly like those Noises. You don't belong in the RG. You never have and never will, Composer of Shibuya."

"I won't give up Shibuya."

"Strong words, Composer," she cooed. "But even without the Angels, I still have the Noises, and you've nobody. They call you Shibuya's only perfect being, yet you're exactly like the old man Hanekoma. He became a Fallen, and now you're falling."

She faded away, leaving him in that cold, empty room with all the clippings, photos, and scraps, the last evidence of the lost Souls that once existed.

xxx

Near the statue of Hachiko, Neku with a large shopping bag waited for Joshua. He only turned to squint at the clock inside Sunshine when he spotted Joshua strolling near the other side of Hachiko. He wore an unusually thick, jean jacket.

"There you are. I was waiting," Neku said, hurrying towards him.

Joshua just kept walking with Neku close behind him. It was difficult keeping up with him. For some reason, two of Joshua's steps equaled one of Neku's today.

Then, he asked seriously, "Tell me, Neku. Am I really a monster?"

Silence passed between them.

"...Oh, come on. Did a little kid tell you that?"

Joshua refused to reply.

"...You a monster? With that baby face?"

Neku reached over and ruffled Joshua's hair playfully as Joshua tried to swat Neku's hand away.

"Hi, spaghetti monster." Neku grinned.

Joshua's face darkened. He narrowed his eyes as if ready to drop a sewer cover on him. Maybe a single white hair sprouted from his head just then, but there was no way of knowing.

"Say, Josh. If I blew your hair, would it be like a dandelion puff and grant me a wish?"

"Neku!"

"You won't go bald on me, right?"

Joshua sealed his eyes shut as Neku blew at his face gently. His hair tousled if only a little.

When Neku stopped, Joshua asked him quietly, "...What do you wish for?"

"For someone's happiness."

Joshua smiled faintly. "...I'm proud of you. You've come a long way."

For no apparent reason, Joshua praised him like this, and Neku's brows furrowed in suspicion.

"...Are you high?"

"Don't think so." Joshua smirked. "Unless the chicken we ate yesterday had some unknown substance in it."

He scoffed. "Like seeds."

"Yes. Poppy seeds."

Neku ran into a lamppost. The light flickered on and off, just like how his own brain did. As Neku proceeded to sit down on a bench, Joshua rummaged through his pocket. He planted a strip over Neku's nose and sat down beside him. He was beaming.

"A bandage strip won't help, jerk."

"Aren't you picky," Joshua offered, "How about a get-well sticker on your head?"

"How about a kick me sign on your back?"

From his shopping bag, Neku retrieved a square, white box and proceeded to pop it open. The box perked Joshua's interest.

"...Gift for your girlfriend?"

Neku looked at him funny. Then, his brows formed happy arcs. He leaned over and said, "Heh. If you're my girlfriend, then yes."

Joshua stared hard at the orange tuna roll placed in his palm and the white box of four more rolls left on his lap.

"You like spicy tuna rolls, right?" Neku asked.

"Of course. Are you afraid to eat your own kind?"

"Shut up, Josh. Just eat."

"Hee hee. Do fellow tuna rolls picket sign in your slee...?"

At that instance, Neku shoved a tuna roll in Joshua's mouth and clamped a hand over it. As Neku smirked, Joshua glared at him and struggled to pry Neku's hand away.

"I said eat."

He averted his gaze. Without much choice, Joshua chewed obediently. After awhile, Neku removed his hand from Joshua's mouth.

"Once you're well-fed, I'll take you some place nice," he promised.

Joshua proceeded to eat another tuna roll from the box. He licked the sticky rice and bits of wasabi from his fingers.

"No," he said.

"Oh quit it, Josh. You're such a hermit," Neku complained.

"Now why would I do that? It's awfully uncomfortable carrying a house everyday."

Neku huffed. "You'll be the first to go out shell shopping."

"And you'll be the first to pinch someone's nose off at the market."

"Like this."

He pinched Joshua's nose briefly. Joshua retaliated, but Neku stood up and evaded. He waited for Joshua at a safe distance, a couple feet away. With the closed box of tuna rolls in his hand, Joshua frowned a little and went to his feet. His eyes looked distracted and weary. His sense of balance wavered greatly.

"Hey, hey."

Joshua's forehead landed safely against Neku's shoulder. Neku had stepped forward to prevent Joshua from worshiping the bird droppings on the concrete.

"...Joshua?"

An amused chuckle escaped. Without raising his head, Joshua pinched Neku's nose.

"Honk. Hee hee."

Neku groaned, but deep inside he smiled faintly as Joshua took a tiny step closer to him.

xxx

Eventually, they returned to Joshua's flat. Joshua had shed his jacket partway when Neku entered the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Joshua stopped.

He asked carefully, "I thought you've a date."

Neku set a dish of peeled oranges and warm green tea near Joshua's bedside. Under his arm, he carried his sketchpad.

"It's a gathering with Shiki and everyone, but it can wait," Neku explained, "You don't look so well. I thought I'll stay here in case."

"I'm only sleepy."

Neku looked unconvinced.

"You're too much of a distraction." Joshua smirked. "Go on now. Don't let me spoil your date."

"...Well, I guess it'll be the last gathering in a long time..." Neku hesitated. "You sure about it?"

"Quite sure."

"...All right. I'll see you then."

For a trivial date, Neku left in quite a hurry, and a part of Joshua's heart sank heavily. His smile faded. He pulled that jacket closer around his aching body. He waited. He waited, until he realized that Neku was not coming back. Letting out a long sigh, he took the headphones from his neck and placed them over his ears.

He grimaced.

xxx

Two hours passed, and Neku returned from the gathering. He wiped the last bit of sweat and paint from his hands with a rag before throwing it into the art box left near the doorway. When he entered Joshua's bedroom, Neku folded his arms in amusement.

"And you call me the rolling pin?"

He walked over and knelt down beside Joshua, who was curled up on the hard floor near the bed. In the darkness, he appeared fast asleep with a blanket tangled at his feet. Neku's headphones remained clamped over Joshua's ears.

"Hey, Joshua. It's dinnertime."

He shook him roughly, but Joshua gave no reply. Neku poked him once, and Joshua flinched.

"You're ticklish in your sleep." Neku mused.

At first, Joshua smiled faintly as Neku continued brushing his fingers against Joshua's exposed neck. Joshua squirmed and chuckled a little, but then he grimaced. He was biting his lower lip.

"All right, all right. You escaped the tickle monster tonight." Neku grinned.

He ran a hand over Joshua's cool, sweaty forehead. His smile faded. With some difficulty, he helped Joshua up from the cold floor and into the bed. Neku removed the clunky headphones from Joshua's ears and lanyard that tangled around his neck. Putting the headphones on, Neku searched under the pillows and covers and found the mp3 player. He arched an eyebrow after seeing the title that scrolled from left to right on the player's dark screen.

"My Final Blessing," it read.

Neku snapped the mp3 player back onto the lanyard and lastly connected the headphones to the player. As he tucked Joshua in, he let that mysterious track play.

"Neku, it's me."

Neku's blood ran cold. He gave a stony glare only to see Joshua sneeze at him. Other than that, he remained quite asleep and oblivious about everything.

"Hee hee. So, how do you like it?"

Then, Neku realized the voice came from his headphones, not outside. The tiny screen confirmed the name of the artist, the creator of this piece...

"Joshua," it read.

"After decoding Sanae's awful hieroglyphics, I finally upgraded your dinosaur technology just so you can hear my voice. It took a lot of effort. Won't you applaud for me?" Joshua smirked.

Neku's thumb threatened to delete the track.

"Hm. You're hearing this, because I'm no longer here. Or rather, no longer visible. Am I right?"

Neku's heart dropped. The tiny screen on the mp3 player, once clear, turned blurry. His mind started racing. His entire body started shaking.

"Damn you..." Neku said.

"Now, now. Don't give me that look. We all knew that I needed to patch up Shibuya and end the scuffle with the Planes sometime soon," Joshua said importantly. "A city's future is at stake, so I'm off to fulfill my duty."

So all that time Neku spent with his friends, Joshua spent his time alone tinkering with old technology just to leave his final words to Neku in secret.

His final parting gift.

"...I'll always remember the time we spent here in the RG... The laughter... The anger... All the fun we had..." Joshua pouted. "You even hit me the first day. That kind of hurt. Hee hee."

A big, fat drop splashed on the screen of Neku's mp3 player.

Joshua let out a long sigh. "Are you making a puddle on the floor again? And I just cleaned it."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Neku said.

"...I won't tell. It's our secret. Composer promise. Hee hee."

His face flushed. Neku brushed his eye angrily. He wanted to crush that mp3 player with his hand. He wanted to stop Joshua from saying anything else, saying something stupid again.

"Remember this. Wherever you are. Wherever I am, I won't leave your side."

Neku's eyes widened. He sensed Joshua, mustering a carefree smile even during that recording.

"...Even if you go off pursuing your career. Even if... you leave Shibuya. Start your own family. Have a couple... a couple of cute Shios along the way. I bless you... and your family every step of the way. Just be sure to share your secrets from time to time...Just be sure to be happy...for me, okay?"

Covering his mouth, Neku shut his eyes and breathed in deeply.

"...And...heh. Thanks for really liking me. I..."

Joshua chuckled softly, and his voice trembled.

"...Bye bye."

The track ended.

xxx

Thanks for reading.

**UPDATE: **June 2010- I chose to "roll-back" this story (by three chapters to be precise), so the story has a stopping point. I do this for everyone's sake, because I, too, am one of those people who do not like incomplete stories. I know there are loose ends left, but that is because this is not the "true ending."

In truth, I have actually completed this story to its "true ending" that goes up to approx. Chapter 20, but none of it is in digital format. Also, I admit it. I left my hard copy at my other far away residence. I have been gone due to unforeseen circumstances and still will be gone due to them. I intend to complete it to its "true ending" when I return to that residence.

Thank you for everyone's support.


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